


Heart Possession - T.O.P x Reader (feat. BIGBANG) - COMPLETED

by HeartPossession



Category: Big Bang (Band)
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fanfiction, Friends to Lovers, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:29:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 41
Words: 89,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23663911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeartPossession/pseuds/HeartPossession
Summary: COMPLETED.The heart wants what it wants....
Relationships: Choi Seunghyun | T.O.P./Original Female Character(s), Choi Seunghyun | T.O.P./You, Dong Youngbae | Taeyang/Original Female Character(s), Dong Youngbae | Taeyang/You, Kwon Jiyong | G-Dragon/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21
Collections: R’s Kpop





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!  
> This is my first BIGBANG story and I am not familiar with Korean customs or the language (!) so apologies in advance for any mistakes in that area.  
> I hope you enjoy the ride x

I had worked in Seoul for nearly 6 months and it was certainly different to what I was used to. I am originally from the UK and trained as teacher however I was bored of life there and decided to teach English as a foreign language. When I applied for an overseas teaching job, the first positions available were either Dubai or South Korea. I tossed a coin: heads for South Korea and tails for Dubai. South Korea won.

I lived in the Seocho district of Seoul, which was a great place to live. It was bustling with people rushing to and from work at the Supreme Court as well as those working at the various big companies in the area. My apartment was in a tall building that over-looked the city. I loved looking out of my window, watching the Han River in the twilight. It was a shame that my apartment had such a beautiful view as it certainly wasn’t beautiful on the inside.

It was small and cramped. There was a living room/kitchen area with a tiny, grey sofa pushed up against the window. This was where I liked to sit and look out onto the city. In the middle of the room was a small coffee table with books. In the corner, there was a large bookshelf that contained hundreds of books. I absolutely adored reading. I did own a television, but I hardly ever watched it because I did not speak Korea well at all. In fact, that was one thing that made my life here unsettled. I preferred to read anyway.

My kitchen was clean but the cupboards were old and creaked terribly when opened. I hardly stocked my fridge because I mostly went out to eat although I always made sure that I had some milk for a cup of tea. Of course I couldn’t leave my tea-drinking habit in rural England!

There was one bedroom, which was cosy enough. I had a double bed pushed up against one wall, surrounded by fairy lights. Opposite was a wardrobe where I kept the majority of my clothes. I say kept but it would be more accurate to say where I _stuffed_ all of my clothes. There were a few pictures on the wall in here, mainly of old 50s and 60s advertisements. I liked to think this made me chic. I definitely was _not_ chic. The flooring was cream carpet. It was once white but had aged and not like a fine wine. I had a bookshelf which contained numerous amounts of books, but mostly my favourite ones lived here.

Finally, there was the bathroom. This was opposite my bedroom and was definitely the smallest room in the house. One thing I really missed about back home was the space. Living in one of the biggest cities in the world meant that space was limited and there was certainly no room for a deluxe bath. Instead, I had a shower that I struggled to fit into because it was that small. I could reach the toilet and sink from the shower, it was so cramped. However, it was useful for when I needed to lean my legs on the sink when I was shaving them!

Despite the cramped living conditions, for a time I was very happy there. I taught at a private school for primary aged children. I taught English and was expected to speak to the children and staff in English at all times. It was a great job to begin with but I gradually felt bored because I hardly made any friends. The staff at school were friendly enough but I couldn’t engage with them because I could not speak Korean. Within 6 months, I handed my notice in and decided I was going to get another job.

It was a sunny morning when I headed down to Seorae Village hunting for a job in a café. I decided to look there because it was a European part of town and I presumed they might hire an English girl. I walked past lots of cafes and noticed one had a sign saying ‘waitress needed’. It was a quaint little café and very small, fitting around 15-20 people in. It smelt of vanilla and coffee beans: a divine smell!

The lady behind the counter was an elderly woman with a kind face.

“Annyeonghaseyo!” she replied with a smile that lit up the room. I knew that she was greeting me, but I replied to her in English.

“Hello, I saw a sign in your window saying that you need a waitress?” I bashfully replied, embarrassed that I was in a different country yet couldn’t speak the language.

“Ah,” she said with a soft-tone, “you are English yes?”

I nodded, feeling my cheeks blush.

“We are a multi-lingual community here with lots of tourists so the majority of customers speak in English.” She continued to smile at me whilst starting to untie her purple apron. “I can give you a trial shift, to see how you get on?”.

As she did this, she took the apron strap from around her neck and chucked it at me.

“Let’s see how you do,” she chuckled as she beckoned for me to come and stand behind the counter. I was in for an interesting day it seemed.

As it was early in the morning, the café was relatively quiet. A few customers came in, ordering their usual coffees: black with a splash of milk or a vanilla latte. The croissants were popular and by mid-morning, we were about to run out, despite it being a calm morning. The kind lady, who I found out was called Ban Yu-Mi, was very helpful and by the end of the morning she had taught me a lot about how to make the coffees and use the cash register.

“Sonyeo,” Yu-mi called to me, “I need to go to the Paris Bakery to pick up some more croissants, can you manage on your own?”

I was clearly nervous because I had only been here for a few hours and wasn’t really sure what I was doing. But I was enjoying myself and actually wanted the job at this cute café. I agreed, although my stomach was in knots as I watched Yu-mi walk out of the shop, sauntering down the road in the sunlight.

A group of older ladies came in and ordered two coffees, in English. They had French accents and were smiling happily. I told them to choose a table and that I would bring their coffees along. They thanked me and sat down. As soon as I was about to make their coffees, another group of ladies walked in and ordered vanilla lattes and cakes. Again, I explained that if they would sit down, I would get their orders.

_Ok, I can cope. I only had to make five coffees, it wasn’t hard._

I began making the coffees and preparing the cakes. As soon as the coffee machine started whirring and steaming, the chime of the door bell rang and another customer came in. It was a tall man with dark hair wearing a dark coat over grey sweatpants. I couldn’t read his expression because he had dark aviator sunglasses on. He tried to order a coffee in Korean but on my response in English, he repeated himself.

“I will have a black coffee, thank you.”

“Of course,” I replied with an embarrassed tone in my voice. _I bet he thinks I am an idiot. I can’t even speak his language in his own country._

There were six coffees to make now. The pressure was on and I was counting down the minutes until Yu-mi came back from procuring pastries. I finished the first set of coffees and took them to the ladies seated in the window, apologising for keeping them waiting. They smiled at me and carried on chattering.

I moved onto the next set of coffees and then, as predicted, the door bell chimed as a customer walked in. The café was beginning to get busy and I was starting to feel the pressure. As elegant as a supermodel, a well-dressed lady walked in. She was around 40 years old and had perfectly styled blonde hair with bright pink lipstick on. Her lips looked like spring rosebuds. Her dress was clearly designer and she smelt of lemons. I wish I looked as beautiful.

As she approached the counter, she began to tap her long, fuchsia painted talons impatiently.

She spoke as if her mouth were full of thorns and poison. I had no idea what she was saying because she was speaking Korean. I presumed she was ordering a coffee but I wasn’t sure how she wanted it. I asked her in English but she tutted. _So rude._

After a minute of trying to catch her order, she pointed abruptly with her finger at the picture of the coffee on the board, rolling her eyes heavily.

“She wants a caramel macchiato,” the tall man with sunglasses replied with a slight smirk on his lips.

_God he was handsome. But he sounded rude and full of himself._

“Yes, sir,” I said with a withered smile and a forlorn expression on my face.

The lady looked at him and muttered, in English, that I was too lazy to speak Korean and that I should probably go back to London. _I’m not even from bloody London._ She turned to face him and her expression changed. She was clearly flirting with him and it made me cringe to watch.

I continued to make the coffees and managed to serve them without any more drama. The supermodel lady carried on flirting with the handsome, tall man. He didn’t take his sunglasses off and stood listening to her chatter on. I could tell he wasn’t listening because he kept looking at the fancy, silver watch on his wrist. She finally got the picture and left but not before writing her phone number down on a napkin and handing it to him.

He stuffed it into his coat pocket and waited for me to pass him his coffee. I could feel his gaze burning into the back of my head as I poured his fresh coffee into a cup. I took a deep breath and turned around, passing it to him whilst trying to look calm and collected. I handed it to him and my hand brushed his. It made my skin prickle with excitement.

“One coffee, sir,” I replied, trying to maintain my composure but obviously seeming like an idiot.

“Thank you,” he said flatly as turned around and found himself a seat next to the window.

_Oh god, why was he staying in to drink his coffee? What else was he going to see me fuck up?_

It took every inch of my being to not to stare at the handsome man sat down so I began tidying up behind the counter, wiping and putting cups in the dishwasher. I could see his reflection in the metallic coffee machine as I started to make myself a cup of coffee. Effortlessly, he began to drink his coffee. His lips caressed the cup and I found myself going weak at the knees and my hands began to burn.

“Shit!” I screamed as boiling hot coffee came cascading out of the cup, overflowing onto the floor because I wasn’t concentrating. I was too busy daydreaming about this attractive Korean man and how he would taste.

Everyone in the shop turned around and looked at me as I tried to mop up my mess. I felt like an even bigger idiot. I doubted that Ban Yu-mi would hire me now. I tried to tidy up, not creating anymore chaos. The handsome man stared at me, raised his eyebrows and shook his head.

_Oh great, now he thinks I am a double-idiot. I can’t speak Korean and I can’t pour coffee. For heaven’s sake._

As soon as I had tidied up, Ban Yu-mi walked in as fresh as a daisy. She was carrying a fresh batch of pastries and she put them carefully on display. Putting her hand on my shoulder, she asked if I was coping well.

_Of course I bloody was, I was flipping fantastic, spilling coffee and winding up Korean customers._

I replied that I was having a great time and truly enjoying myself. She seemed satisfied that the customers in the shop were smiling.

“What did Choi Seunghyun order?” Ban Yu-mi asked, titling her head as she gestured to the handsome man in the window.

“Oh, just a coffee,” I answered with a flushed face.

“He likes to come in here for some peace and quiet,” Ban Yu-mi said as she took a cloth and polished the till. “He has a busy job but I like to take care of him as well as I can.”

I pondered this for a few seconds. I wondered if I would be seeing more of this tall, dark stranger? With a curious smile, I raised my eyebrows at Ban Yu-mi.

Luckily, the rest of the day went without incident and I thoroughly enjoyed my shift. As soon as my shift was over, Ban Yu-mi invited me over to a table and suggested that I complete a 6 week trial at her shop. I felt really pleased with myself, accepted her offer and headed back to my apartment with a beaming smile plastered on my face. 


	2. Chapter 1

An almighty thunderstorm had roared over Seoul that afternoon and the café was relatively quiet. I was watching the rain dance on the pavement outside whilst wondering what book to read when I got back to my apartment later that night. Ban Yu-mi had told me that I needed to get out and meet people but I wasn’t interested. I thought about enrolling into a Korean language class at the Dulwich College British school but I kept putting it off for some reason.

Even though it was mid-afternoon, the sky was dark and unforgiving. A sudden flash of lightening lit up the shop and I looked at Ban Yu-mi with wide, scared eyes. There were no customers, so she began pouring us each a cup of coffee. She told me about her husband who had sadly passed away a few decades ago. Despite this, Ban Yu-mi had never remarried and instead poured her heart into her business. We were mid-conversation when the bell chimed as the door swung open, letting in a freezing gust of wind.

“Good afternoon, Dongsaeng!” beamed Ban Yu-mi as she greeted the customer with a warm smile. “Would you like your usual?”

It was the tall, dark, handsome man. He was struggling with a huge umbrella, folding it in and spraying rain everywhere. He had a dark coat on with golden buttons.

“Yes, that would be wonderful, please, Halmeoni,” he replied with a voice as deep as oak and as soft as honey.

As he finished putting his umbrella in the coat-stand, he turned and approached the counter. This was the first time I gazed into his eyes. They were dark brown and as deep as the ocean on a moonlit night. He smiled at Ban Yu-mi and I noticed that he had a chiselled jawline.

_Gosh, his smile made me weak at the knees but he was such an obnoxious man. He hasn’t even acknowledged that I am here…_

He rested his long, slender hands on the counter. His skin was porcelain and perfect. He didn’t smile at me and practically ignored me as he continued to speak to my boss in Korean. I hadn’t got a clue what they were talking about.

“Hello,” I replied with a smile, trying to sound polite. After all, he was apparently a regular customer.

There was a pause and he turned and looked at me.

“Yes, hello,’ he replied as he brushed off my greeting and carried on talking to Ban Yu-mi.

I felt my cheeks turning red and quickly turned around trying to busy myself in corner by ‘tidying’. I could hear Ban Yu-mi making him a coffee, clattering cups and opening the drawer to fetch a pastry. After a few minutes, she came over to me.

“Don’t worry, Dongsaeng, as he gets to know you, he will be more friendly,” she reassured me.

I didn’t say anything in response, I just smiled at her and pretended not to know what she was talking about. She led me back to the counter where we sat down and watched the rain, trying to remain oblivious to the handsome man who was drinking his coffee in the window of the café.

Twenty minutes later and Ban Yu-mi was talking to me about types of coffee when I heard a telephone ring. It belonged to Choi Seunghyun and he answered in English. I couldn’t help but overhear what he was saying. My boss must have thought I was incredibly rude because I was nodding to her, yet I had completely zoned out of the conversation.

“Ah, Jiyong!” he said in his deep voice. “The café inSeorae Village. Yes. Yes. Twenty minutes. No one else. YG? No, not today. Ah, ok. No! Fuck you, haha!”

He pressed the phone and put it on the table, laughing to himself. Without even thinking, I carried on looking at him intently. I barely noticed he was staring back at me but luckily, Ban Yu-mi asked me a question and called my name so I immediately turned around and answered her.

_Shit. He caught me looking at him. He must think I am an idiot._

Without turning around again, I carried on listening to my boss talk whilst polishing the coffee cups, placing them carefully on the counter.

The thunder continued to rumble and the rain poured. It was almost biblical and I began to regret not bringing a coat to work. As I was concocting ways of shielding myself from the rain on my journey home, another customer came into the café. He wasn’t as tall as the handsome man in the window but he certainly looked beautiful. He had a long, black fringe on one side and a short under-cut on the other. He had a green bomber jacket on with lots of patches, including a KISS patch. I was impressed with how fashionable he looked as he bounced in and pulled up a chair next to the handsome man.

“Yo, Tabi!” he exclaimed as he hugged the handsome man.

“Jiyong!” he replied as he put his hand up to give his friend a high-five. They began talking in Korean, laughing and clapping their hands. I was trying not to listen: partly because I didn’t have a clue what they were talking about and because I did not want them to think I was being nosy. Both men carried on talking for a while, occasionally taking out their phones and glancing at text messages and emails.

Ban Yu-mi informed me that she was going into the office behind the shop to do some paperwork. I felt impressed that she trusted me enough to leave me to manage the shop floor, despite there being hardly any customers.

_She doesn’t know about the coffee spillage yesterday…_

“If you want to, you can read your book,” she said as she picked up my tattered, paperback and handed it to me. She cocked her head towards the two men. “They won’t bother you.”

I was seven chapters into my book when he appeared at the counter.

“I hear I am supposed to order in English?” he cheekily said as he leant onto the counter. Slowly putting my book into my lap, I nodded my head at him and got up from the stool I was sat on.

“I am afraid so. I have only been here for a few months and my Korean is poor. I really should sign up for evening classes.”

He smiled and scratched his head. “Can I have a coffee please? Americano with a splash of milk. One sugar?”

In a moment of sheer embarrassment, I put my thumb up. _How cheesy. How embarrassing!_

Turning away from him, I began to make him some coffee. I rolled my eyes to myself and internally died of embarrassment. He started making conversation with me.

“So yeah, are you from America then?”

“No,” I replied, “I am certainly not! I am from England.”  
  


“Ah, London. I’ve been there many times. I am sure you would be used to this type of weather then?!” he joked.

As I turned around with his coffee, I smiled and tutted at him.

“Erm, no! It doesn’t rain all the time there. There are _occasions_ when the sun pops out for five minutes! Anyway, I’m from the countryside not London.” I handed him the coffee and awaited his return to his table to join his grumpy friend. Alas, he did not. There was a moment of silence and he carried on looking into my eyes with a smile.

_This one was_ _bold._

“Yes, so,” I muttered, nervously trying to break the silence. “Why have you been to London so many times? Its quite far away, you know.”

“We travel,” he replied with a smirk. “A lot.”

“We?”

“Yes, me and Seunghyun.” He pointed at the tall handsome man who looked over at the mention of his name.

“What are you telling her?” came the deep voice from the window seat. “I hope you aren’t spreading rumours, Jiyong?”

_Bloody hell, why did this guy have such a moody attitude? His friend is only making conversation._

“Oh, just that we travel lots, don’t we? We are always on planes, trains, cars. We like to ride. Do you like to ride?!” he suggestively said, winking as he leant further on the counter.

I blushed, shocked at the blatant innuendo. I didn’t reply because I was so flustered.

“I am Jiyong, by the way. It’s nice to meet you.” He bowed to me. I bowed back.

_Oh, so finally, someone has acknowledged my existence!_

“That is Mr Grumpy over there, Seunghyun,” Jiyong said as he pointed over at Seunghyun. Mr Grumpy looked over and raised his eyebrows to show that he was interacting but he carried on texting on his phone. “He is ever so chatty, as you can tell!!”

“Jiyong, come here,” Mr Grumpy beckoned to Jiyong.

Jiyong saluted to me, grabbed his coffee and bounced back to his seat. Seunghyun showedJiyong his phone and his face fell as if he had seen some disturbing news. They said something in Korean and left abruptly.

I walked over to their table to clean up after them. Jiyong’s coffee was still piping hot. I wondered what was going on and why they needed to leave quickly. When Ban Yu-mi came back, she found me reading my book.

“Oh, did they leave?” she asked with a puzzled look on her face.

“Yes, they had an important message,” I replied, wiping down the tables.

“Those boys,” she shook her head, “they never stay still.”

Again, I wondered what she meant. She didn’t elaborate. Instead, she said she didn’t need me to finish the rest of my shift because it was so quiet in the shop. Wishing that I had a coat, I grabbed a paper bag from under the counter as I was about to leave.

“Don’t use that,” she said, “Seunghyun left his umbrella. I am sure he wouldn’t mind you using that.”

_Oh really. If I even so much as looked at it, I can imagine he would be pissed off._

“Goodnight, Ban Yu-mi!”

I stepped out into the rain holding onto Mr Grumpy’s umbrella, giggling that I was touching something he had touched.

_What a silly, sad life I led._


	3. Chapter 3

Daesung sat on his phone reading through emails, constantly flicking his honey-coloured hair out of his eyes. His current hairstyle infuriated him: he couldn’t see anything without constantly twitching his hair every 5 seconds.

_Delete. Delete. Delete. Hmmm. Delete._

It was one of those days: the sky was grey, it was thundering and everyone’s moods were low. Daesung wished he could delete this dance practice out of his schedule for he was tired after doing back-to-back interviews in the morning. The boys were sat in Dance Room 1 at the YG Headquarters building in the Mapo-gu district. As usual, they were practising for their performance later that evening. It was for a television show that was being broadcast across various networks.

“Right, up everyone. Let’s run through _Bang, Bang, Bang,_ ” came the strong voice of the boys’ manager.

Daesung sighed, put his phone down next to his bag and got into position with the others and their dancers. As he walked, he bumped into Seunguri which made them both laugh.

“Watch where you’re going, Daesung!” Seunguri said as he poked his bandmate in the ribs.

“Sorry!” Daesung apologised as he stood on the far left. He noticed there was a lack of energy in the room. He looked over at Seunghyun on his right but he wasn’t looking at him.

_Too busy looking at himself in that mirror!_

“In position, and cue music!” shouted their manager as he stood at the front of the studio, sipping a bottle of mineral water.

The music began to play and Taeyang was ready to start off the song. He took a deep breath as he was about to start his verse when he was interrupted.

“Sorry, I can’t. I’ve got to go. This isn’t working,” came the deep voice. It was Seunghyun. He swiftly moved out of position, waltzed over to grab his bag and walked out of the studio.

“What’s wrong with that idiot?!” their manager yelled as he watched Seunghyun leave. There was not much he could do to stop him. “Jiyong, cover his verse, we’ll rehearse without him.”

Jiyong saluted his manager and the rest of the group prepared to get back into position. Daesung rolled his eyes.

_Not this again._

As Seunghyun walked out of the studio and through the hallway towards the exit, he felt his anger and frustration rise.

How dare she text him before a big event. They had broken up months ago, on her part, yet here she was pestering him again. It made him feel so used and disgusting but he couldn’t stop going back to her. Like a dog begging for scraps. He knew she was sleeping around with other men but that didn’t stop him.

Park Ri-Na was slim, smart and seductive. She had short, cropped black hair and beautiful almond shaped eyes. She was everything that Korean girls wanted to be. He had met her when she was working as a personal assistant at YG Entertainment. At first, he was shy about it all but after he realised how insatiable her thirst was, there was no stopping him. They were together for a year, secretively, and then she dropped him for someone else. Seunghyun never found out who she dropped him for but in all honesty he didn’t care because her new man was a deadman.

_Of course_ he was going to meet up with her after the TV show. He was putty in her hands. He replied that he would see her after the show in the usual place. She was able to get access for she worked for the company. He sighed and ran his slender fingers through his thick black hair.

Seunghyun asked his driver to take him to Seorae Village to the coffee shop. He wanted to be alone but not at his apartment. Besides, that idiot English girl would be there to make him laugh. He chuckled to himself as he recalled she couldn’t even speak Korean. _Why bother coming to a country if you can’t speak the language?_

As the car pulled up outside the café, he thanked his driver and got out and opened his umbrella because it was pouring down with rain. With long strides, he quickly rushed into the shop.

"Good afternoon, Dongsaeng!" beamed Ban Yu-mi as she greeted him with a warm smile. "Would you like your usual?"

He smiled as the thought of a rich coffee was soothing to him. He needed something strong to help him deal with his predicament for later on.

“Yes, that would be wonderful, please, Halmeoni," he replied to the lady. He had known Ban Yu-mi for a while now as he had been coming to her coffee shop since he had moved into this area of Seoul. She was a friendly face who never judged him and she treated him fairly as if he were a normal man.

_I am not a normal man though, am I? What normal man has millions of women screaming his name every night yet feels as empty and hollow as an old oak tree?_

He walked over to the coat-stand and put his soaking umbrella there to dry. After, he approached the counter and rested his hands.

“Hello,” said the waitress from yesterday. She was the silly one who had spilled all of the coffee and couldn’t speak Korean. Seunghyun was not impressed.

“Yes, hello,” he replied as nonchalantly as possible. He looked at her with a blank stare. _Does she want to take picture, for fuck sake?_

There was an awkward silence which was broken by the girl turning around and busying herself with the cutlery behind the counter. For a split second, Seunghyun stared at her. He couldn’t help it: he was a man, he stared at anything with a pulse.

Ban Yu-mi began making his coffee, chatting to him about her day as she usually did. He caught the end of the conversation that she was having with him.

“…yes and so I thought I would give her a trial, she seems so sweet.”

_She spilt the coffee, can’t speak Korean and probably can’t even use chopsticks._

Seunghyun nodded, pretending to listen intently. He was thinking of Park Ri-na and what he would do to her that night. He could feel his cock twitch in his sweatpants. _No, not now._

“Tell me, Dongsaeng, why do you look so glum?” Ban Yu-mi asked as she watched his walk over to his table and fetch a cigarette.

“Park,” he replied, putting the cigarette to his lips.

“Ah,” the older lady said as she brought him a napkin and a pastry. “You be careful, Seunghyun and remember that girl is poison.”

_Poison that tastes so damn good._

“I will,” he said as politely as he could. He really did not need her opinion on this situation. He knew he was in the wrong but he was unwilling to back down. He needed her.

Ban Yu-mi bowed to him, smiled and went back over to the counter to talk to the dumb English waitress.

Seunghyun sat for a while, nursing his cup of coffee and taking intermittent drags on his cigarette. He was thinking about his performance later on that evening. He used to love performing, especially when he was being filmed for TV for he knew his family and friends would be watching. Lately, the feeling had dissipated. He felt nothing when performing and usually let the others take centre stage. He knew he would have to go back to Mapo-gu soon.

As he was looking out of the window, watching the raindrops drizzle miserably down the window, Seunghyun heard his telephone ringing.

_KWON JI-YONG CALLING._

Jiyong was one of his closest friends and he felt like he was letting him down by being such a miserable fool. Seunghyun picked up the phoned.

“Ah, Jiyong!” he replied to his friend.

“Tabi! You left abruptly, are you ok? Where are you?”

“The café in Seorae Village.”

“Ahh, so that’s where you are hiding?”

“Yes.”

“She text you, didn’t she?”

“Yes,” Seyunghyun replied with a forlorn tone.

“How long have you been there sulking, you big, old grumpy piece of tofu?” Jiyong joked.

“Twenty minutes.”

“Who else is in the café? Is it busy? I don’t want to stop by if we are going to be bombarded by fans, we have got stuff to do.”

“No one else.” Seunghyun looked over at Ban Yu-mi and the dumb English waitress. They wouldn’t cause any fuss.

“Good. I’ll swing by then and pick you up but not before I catch a free coffee from Ban Yu-mi! Will you come back to Headquarters before the show?”

“YG? No, not today.”

“Understood my little rice cake,” Jiyong laughed. “Why don’t we ride to the studio together then?”

“Ah, ok,” Seunghyun replied sounding slightly more upbeat.

“We can get dressed, I can do your make-up and maybe we can make out?” Jiyong joked.

“No! Fuck you, haha!” Seunghyun laughed. He took the phone away from his ear and cancelled the call, smiling to himself.

_Ah, Ji, he never fails to make me smile._

Seunghyun was feeling better now his friend and bandmate was coming to cheer him up. He thought about his past and happier times that he had spent with Jiyong, messing around in dance practice and trying to trip him up when they were on stage. All of a sudden, he saw Jiyong glide past the window and dash quickly into the café in his green bomber jacket.

“Yo, Tabi!” he energetically said as he came in and gave Seunghyun a high five.

“Sit down, Ji.”

“So,” Jiyong started as he crossed his right leg over his left knee and leaned back in his chair. “What is the plan with her tonight?”

Suenghyun pursed his lips and frowned slightly. He did not want to go into much detail with his friend about fucking his ex-girlfriend.

“Not much, just a drink and we will see how it goes.”

Jiyong laughed and slapped his thigh.   
  
“Of _course!_ That’s definitely it, isn’t it?! Just. A. Drink.” He put his fingers up and exaggerated the latter part of the sentence.

“Yes, Jiyong. It is just a drink. Now, let’s change the subject. Go and grab a coffee and tell me about the rehersal. Did it go ok?” Seunghyun asked, pretending like he actually gave a fuck.

Jiyong shrugged and told his friend that it went as well as it could have been considering there was a deserter. Seunghyun rolled his eyes and ushered Jiyong away. He watched his friend as he walked over to the counter.

“Order in English,” Seunghyun shouted over to Jiyong, “the dumb waitress can’t speak Korean,” he said as he watched Ji approach the counter. The waitress was reading her book. He was starting to feel really irritated by this girl and he didn’t know why. It was especially annoying as he watched Jiyong talk to her in English. _Did he have to flirt with every woman he spoke to?!_

“That is Mr Grumpy over there, Seunghyun. He is ever so chatty as you can tell,” Jiyong said as he pointed a sly finger over at his friend sat by the window. Seunghyun felt slightly put out by being called ‘Mr. Grumpy’. He didn’t think he was grumpy. _Was he?_

Just then, Seunghyun’s phone vibrated. He had a text from Youngbae telling him they were urgently needed at the studio. Then there was a text from Daesung, then one from Seungri and then their manager began calling.

“Jiyong, come here,” he called to his friend in a serious tone. Jiyong walked over to the table with some urgency. He showed Jiyong the text and both men stood up quickly, grabbed their coats and left.

As they walked over to the black car waiting for them, Seunghyun realised he had forgotten his umbrella. _It will still be there tomorrow_ he thought to himself.

When Seunghyun woke up the following morning, he was at her apartment. The bright sunglight shone through the white blinds onto the white bed. He had drank so much at the afterparty, he didn’t remember what had happened but the smell of her perfume lingered on his body so he guess what they had done.

He squinted and looked around. He saw Ri-na lying next to him, hair a mess and limbs splayed because she was deep asleep. Seunghyun shuddered. She made him feel physically sick. He did not want this anymore.

As quietly as he could, he got up from the bed and tried to find his clothes. Luckily, he was a neat person so he had folded them on the chair next to the bed. Silently, he put them on and glided out of the door towards the open-plan living area. He grabbed an envelope that was lying on the kitchen counter and left her a message.

_Leave me alone. No more._

Seunghyun grabbed his coat, which was draped over the pristine white sofa and left her apartment.

As he did, he could hear the busy morning traffic. He slid on his sunglasses and took a cigarette out of his jacket pocket. As he took a drag, he felt relieved. He checked his phone to see he had lots of text messages.

He laughed as he scrolled through them, including several funny memes sent to him from Daesung. There were a few invitations to the Seoul Art Gallery. Finally, a message from Jiyong.

_Get me that English girl’s number. She was funny._

Definitely not! She was not good enough for Jiyong.

Ri-na’s building was not too far from his apartment that he shared with his bandmates. As Seunghyun approached the tower block, it began to rain. He remembered that he had left his umbrella in the coffee shop. _What an idiot_ he thought to himself. He picked up the pace in order to get home quickly.


	4. Chapter 4

__

_Another day, another coffee._

I was settling into my new job at the cute café in the Seorae Village: my boss was a kind-hearted lady who was helpful and understanding and the customers at the café were pleasant. There were the odd few who were spoilt and rude but they were few and far between. In the space of two weeks, I got to know the regular customers and began to develop a friendship with them.

My favourite was the Ban Yu-mi’s best friend, Mr Rin. Mr Rin, who looked around 80 years old but was quite likely 800 years old, was my favourite. He didn’t speak much English but he was a talented artist who loved drawing. He would come to the shop most days and draw portraits of the people passing by on the street.

I hadn’t seen Mr Grumpy or Jiyong in nearly three weeks. Occasionly, I wondered what they were doing. I didn’t dare ask Ban Yu-mi for fear she would ask questions. It was only out of curiosity. She forgot that I had got Seunghyun’s umbrella at my apartment. He looked like he could afford a thousand umbrellas twice over, so I doubt he even gave it a second thought.

The weather had brightened up slightly, sending shards of glistening sunlight cascading through the front of the shop windows. We had just taken shipment of a new flavoured coffee, which left a strong fruity tang in the atmosphere. Often, when I came home, my hair smelt strongly of coffee but I didn’t mind because it made me feel happy.

“Cheonsa,” my boss called for me through the back of the shop office, “how many croissants are left?”

I bent down to check how many of the sweet pastries there were. Considering they were our most popular item, I was shocked to discover that there were around a dozen left. I got up from my crouching position and yelled the answer back to Ban Yu-mi. As soon as I did, I saw that I was face-to-face with none other than Mr Grumpy himself. I didn’t even hear the door bell chime.

_So he is a ghost as well as an ignorant pig._

I laughed to myself, covering my mouth so I didn’t make it obvious.

“Coffee,” he said in a demanding tone. His facial expression didn’t change as he looked straight at me.

_This guy! I swear he has no manners whatsoever. So demanding._

“Coming up,” I said in a rather sarcastic tone. He was starting to get on my nerves. I began to wonder where his friend, Jiyong was. He was air and light compared to the thunder of Seunghyun.

Mr Rin was sat in the left window seat, drawing away and drinking a cup of his coffee. There were a group of German tourists in the far right of the shop, speaking loudly but not offensively. I saw Seunghyun look at them intently. He didn’t say anything. I went over to the coffee machine and watched him in the reflection, studying his dark features carefully. The way his eyebrows knitted in a frown made him sultry and mysterious. Why did he have to be so rude?!

I handed him his coffee and he didn’t even smile. Reluctantly, I sighed and went back to tidying the counter, contemplating whether to eat a pastry.

All of a sudden, I could hear loud voices of young girls. The voices were shrill and getting louder. I knew they were probably students from the Lycée Francais school coming to pick up a coffee for their lunch. Almost like a gaggle of geese, the students walked in giggling and chatting away. They each ordered a fancy coffee which would take me about twelve hours to make. I internally rolled my eyes and sighed. As I prepared their lattes, I began listening in to their conversation as they began to whisper excitedly.

“Girls, look! LOOK!”

“Oh my gosh, is it?”

They all giggled.

“It’s Seunghyun! It is! You can tell because he has such a dreamy face.”

“I’d like to do things to that face,” one of them said in a smutty way.

“Yeah,” another agreed, “I wouldn’t need a chair because I’d already have somewhere to sit.”

On point, I laughed out loud. _He can hear you, he does speak English, you know?!_ I felt utterly embarrassed for him, although I could imagine he absolutely loved the attention.

“Let’s go over,” one of them protested. It was as if they were vultures about to attack their prey. _Thirsty vultures, by the sound of it._

Continuing to prepare their drinks, which they clearly weren’t interested in anymore, I began to spy on the in the reflection of the metal coffee machine. They rushed over to him as he was sat in his usual seat.

“Excuse me,” one of the girls giggled, “TOP! Is it really you?”

I watched him look up from his phone as he smiled and engaged with the group of girls. He stood up and hugged each one individually and posed for pictures. The girls squealed with delight and one said that she was going to pass out. After what seemed like an eternity, they left as they came in: like a gaggle of geese.

“Excuse me?! You’ve forgotten your coffees?!” I exclaimed as I turned around as quick as flash. They had taken me ages to make and now they were to be wasted. By this point, the group of German tourists were interested in the commotion and followed suit, going up to Seunghyun and posing for selfies.

_What on earth was happening?! Why did everyone want a picture with Mr Grumpy? And most importantly, why was Mr Grumpy morphing into Mr Polite and Happy?_

After the German tourists left, Seunghyun sat back down and carried on reading his phone, as if nothing had happened. As it was only us and Mr Rin in the shop, I pondered if I should ask him with the fuck had just happened.

“Mr Rin?” I asked the elderly gentleman. “Would you like a cinnamon soy latte?”

He looked at me as I held up the drink and pointed at it. I probably looked so stupid like a daft foreigner asking for directions. He smiled like a Cheshire cat and nodded. I went and took it over to him, feeling happy.

Under the guise of handing out a free fancy latte, I approached Seunghyung.

Taking a deep breath, I placed one of the coffees on the table, waiting for his response.

“Can I help you?” he asked as he looked up at me with his dark eyes.

“Actually, I was offering you one of these delightful lattes that those ladies ordered. For some reason, they became distracted and left in a hurry. I wonder why…!” I said with a cheeky laugh, smiling at him sweetly.

“Hmmm,” he replied in his typical bored fashion. He reached out for the coffee cup and gazed deep into its abyss, sniffing it cautiously before sipping it. “It… it tastes of…hmmm… flowers,” he replied with a stoney-faced expression.

All of a sudden, he burst out laughing.

“What the fuck is this drink, eh?!”

I was taken a-back that he was interacting with me, let alone sharing a joke. I let it sink in and then laughed with him.

“Don’t ask me, I just work here and do as I am told!”

“It tastes like one of Jiyong’s perfumes.”

I laughed, not knowing what to say. I looked down at my apron, which was stained with flour and coffee. There was an awkward silence which hung in the air like electricity before a thunderstorm. He sat back in his seat, tall and proud. Gosh, he was so handsome and almost regal.

“That was weird,” I replied, again not knowing what to say.

_Had I just put my foot in it like an idiot. I bet he calls me ‘Idiot-girl’ to his posh friends._

“Well,” he responded, “it’s complicated.”

“Ah yes, _complicated,_ that’s what it is,” I said as I put my hand to my head in disbelief.

He looked around and held out his hand, gesturing for me to sit down. I paused, not sure if I was reading the situation correctly.

“There are no customers, surely Ban Yu-mi-nim won’t tell you off,” he suggested as he fiddled around in his pocked for a lighter. He picked up the packet of cigarettes from the table and placed one on his lips. I watched it carefully and for a split second, I wished I was caressing his lips. Damn. I shook my head.

_Stop thinking sexy thoughts about him. He is off-limits._

I sat down with caution, carefully trying not to fall off the chair or spill anymore coffee, or cause World War 3 with my clumsiness.

“So,” he took a drag on his cigarette, “what do you know?”

“Not much,” I replied. “I know your name and I know your friend is Jiyong. You have a busy job, right? I guess you are in the public eye, considering the majority of our customer base wanted a selfie with you?” I took a sip of one of the coffees I had brought over.

“Yes,” he nodded. “I work in the entertainment industry and I am surprised you don’t recognise me, or Jiyong for that matter.”

I nearly spat out my coffee.

“Recognise you? I can’t even speak the damn language here, let alone recognise anyone!”

He laughed and his features softened.

“Let’s leave it at that then,” he took a drag of his cigarette and smiled.

I finished my coffee, sat next to him in comfortable silence and wondered what on earth made Seunghyun so appealing to others. I was certain he was a movie star.

_Did Ban Yu-mi know? I bet she did, and she hadn’t mentioned it!_

“I’ll see you around,” he said to me as he finished smoking and put his jacket, which was hanging on the back of his chair, around his shoulders. I watched him as he walked away and got into a dark Lexus parked at the corner of the street.

_At least I have made myself a new Korean friend._

Mr Rin shouted in excitement from his table. He showed me his drawing: it was of Seunghyung. Mr Rin motioned for me to take it, so I did. I folded it into my apron pocket.


	5. Chapter 5

Later that night, I sat on my sofa and gazed outwards towards the Han River. It looked so calm and serene at dusk. The sounds of the city coupled with the twinkling stars in the sky made me feel like I somehow belonged in this strange place.

I took a sip of my drink: whiskey and cola. Yes, I felt like I belonged but boy was I lonely. It dawned on me that I needed to make some sort of connection with someone. I considered signing up for the Korean classes at the English college. I dragged my laptop from underneath the coffee table and opened up the browser. However, I became distracted as my mind wandered to the conversation that had happened with Seunghyun earlier on.

I typed his named into Google: _Choy Sen Hun_. I really had no idea how it was spelt.

Google corrected me: Choi Seung-Hyun. There were _millions_ of results and his picture was everywhere. I bit my lip as I scrolled through the various photoshoots of him in suits, with strange coloured hair and posing next to his band members. _There was Jiyong!_ They were in a boyband called BigBang and had millions of views on their YouTube videos. Wow. I really didn’t know what to say.

I spent some of the night watching their videos but in all honesty, I wasn’t that interested. Jiyong was a lovely, friendly boy but I was still curious about Mr Grumpy, even if he was unusually cordial during our last meeting.

* *

“Cheonsa!” my boss called to me from across the room, “make sure that you clean underneath that counter. It must be spotless!”

“Yes, sunbae!” I replied with a cheery smile, crouching down with the dustpan and brush. It had been busy during the morning rush with lots of reporters and court officials coming in to the shop for the morning latte and pastry. As I was cleaning, I heard the doorbell chime as customers walked in. I could see their shoes as I was crouched down. They were black and white Vans sneakers, so definitely not court officials.

“Hello?” came the familiar voice. It was Jiyong. I jumped up in surprise, remembering what I had learnt about him the previous evening. _He was superstar and he was saying hello to me!_ I couldn’t help but feel excited.

“Good morning, Jiyong,” I replied. “Would you like a coffee?”

He had two of his friends with him. They were both equally as handsome.

“I’ll have a vanilla latte, please Londoner,” he joked with me. I pouted at him. He _knew_ I was not from there.

“And you, sirs?” I asked the two other men.

“I will have an Americano, please,” said the first one. I knew that this was Daesung from his sweeped fringe hairstyle. He seemed to be a sweet boy with kind eyes and an inviting smile.

The other one was Taeyang and I could tell from his muscular body that he was the best dancer.

“Good morning, lady,” Taeyang said to me sweetly, “I will have a tea English style.” His English was muddled up and I thought that was cute.

“Coming up,” I said to them as I prepared their drinks. They sat down at Mr Grumpy’s usual table and I watched their reflections tentatively in the coffee machine. _What were they doing here, especially without Mr Grumpy?_

I could hear their chatter in Korean above the rest of the customers; an older Korean lady with her sister and a couple of courtroom assistants. I was careful not to mess up their orders as I did not want them to think I was a clumsy, dumb idiot like Seunghyun did. I picked each drink up and placed them on a tray as if they were made out of irreplaceable angel hair. Taking extreme caution not to trip up, I took them to their table and placed them down.

“Cheonsa-ah,” Jiyong said as I placed his drink infront of him. “How are you?”

I stepped back, surprised that he had used the nickname Ban Yu-mi called me. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ears.

“Erm, I am well thank you? And yourselves?” I asked awkwardly. _I bet they are cringing for me._

“Better now that we have had some of your delicious coffee,” Jiyong replied.

Taeyang took a sip of his tea and shuddered. Daesung laughed at him.

“What is the matter, Youngbae?! Do you not like the tea?”

Taeyang tried to politely smile but I could tell he was not a fan.

“It’s not to everyone’s taste,” I replied, trying to make the poor guy feel better.

There was a silence and I almost walked away, unsure to as whether I had outstayed my welcome with the icons. Just as I was about to wish them an enjoyable experience like a good waitress, Jiyong made a proposition.

“So, the thing is, I spoke to Ban Yu-mi last week, when it was your day off. She was concerned about your lack of Korean and she suggested that I set you up with one of my girl-friends. I have plently,” he batted his eye lids. Daesung reached over and grabbed Jiyong’s cheek.

“Plently of girl-friends, but no _girlfriend_!” he joked. Taeyang laughed as he tried to sip his tea that he clearly did not like.

“Erm, excuse me! Plently of women want to tame the Dragon but they can’t handle its flames. It’s just too _damn_ hot!” Jiyong said, adjusting the cap he was wearing.

At this point, I couldn’t help but laugh along with the boys.

“Go on,” I said, folding my arms.

“On Friday night, we are having a little ‘dinner-party’ at our apartment. Some of our friends are invited, so we were wondering if you wanted to come to?”

_This sounded like a living nightmare! I was awkward as it was and now I was being asked to attend a party with a boy band and their girl-friends who probably all looked like stunning runway models._ I wondered if they were trying to make a joke out of me so I desperately tried to think of an excuse.

“Oh, wow,” I replied as I nervously played with one of my apron strings. “I… I can’t come on Friday, I am sorry. I have just signed up for a Korean language class at the English college,” I blagged.

Daesung’s smile fell from his face and he looked at Jiyong.

“Ah. I see.”

There was another awkward pause.

“Are you sure you couldn’t just come after your class? I mean, the party will go on for a while!”

There was no getting out of this one. What was I supposed to say? _Yes. The English class runs until 3am! It is going to be a right laugh…. For fuck sake!_

“I’ll try and be there then,” I said as I tried not to cry with terror.

“It’s a casual affair,” Daesung said as he put his elbows on the table. “Just bring yourself and whatever you like to drink.”

“Just don’t bring any Tea English!” Taeyang responded as he put his head in his hands.

“Oh, Youngbae!” Daesung responded as he put his arm around his friend.

“Write your number down on my phone and I will send you the address later,” Jiyong told me.

“Cheonsa!” Ban Yu-mi called from inside the office, “please could you bring me the receipts for yesterday?”

I looked at the three men and bowed, almost tripping myself up on a chair behind me. Daesung gave me a thumbs up and they carried on drinking their coffees.

As I took Ban Yu-mi the receipts, I couldn’t help but daydream about what the party was going to be like. What would I wear? How should I do my hair? What will the girl-friends be like? Would everyone be speaking Korean? Would they be talking about me? Who else was going? _Would Mr Grumpy be there?_

Ban Yu-mi smiled at me and gave me a friendly hug as I explained what had happened.

“They are sweet boys and I told them you needed some help. You will have a wonderful time but please be careful as others have broken their trust in the past. I know you wouldn’t, but don’t take sneaky photos or sell your story to the press. I am trusting you, Cheonsa.”

“I promise,” I replied.

“See, you are a Cheonsa at heart! My angel,” she said.

My heart was full of excitement as I headed back out to the shop floor. The boys had gone. It made me incredibly nervous to think that the next time I would see them would be at the party.


	6. Chapter 6

As I got ready for the party, I had a mild panic because I did not know what to wear. Daesung said it would be casual so there was really no need to wear a fancy dress, which was good because I didn’t own anything of the sort. As I rummaged around in the wardrobe with my clothes stuffed inside, I pulled out a few shirts and a pair of blue jeans. _These will do._

I yanked on my blue skinny jeans and a white long sleeved v-neck shirt. Straightening my long, dark hair, I looked in the mirror and sighed to myself. I felt really nervous. In fact, I was so nervous that I messed up one of my eyeliner wings. _Typical. Oh well, it wasn’t as if anyone would care._

I checked my phone and there was still no message from Jiyong, or anyone for that matter. They had probably forgotten about me. They were only inviting me as a favour to my boss anyway. Even though I was dressed and ready, I left my bedroom and slumped down on the sofa. As I looked out of the window, I decided that I wasn’t going to go. I got up and walked to the kitchen, poured myself a glass of whiskey and sat back down again. It was time that I moved on with my life. Yes, I was happy at the coffee shop but I needed to make some more friends. Picking up my laptop with my free hand, I opened up the computer and searched for Korean lessons for beginners. There were a few at the college by my work. I took big slug of my whiskey, feeling it go straight to my head. It made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Maybe that was too big of a sip.

_Those silly boys, inviting me to their stupid party._

I opened a new browser on my laptop and googled ‘Choi Seunghyun’. I was starting to get drunk and seeing his face seemed like an excellent idea. I was about to hit the enter button and my phone vibrated. It was a text message.

‘CHEONSA. 8PM. DOSAN-DAERO. STARBUCKS. JI.’

My heart sank and floated at the same time _if that was even possible._ The alcohol was clouding my judgement. Normally, I would be rational but I flung myself off the sofa, put my black heels on, chucked my leather biker jacket onto my shoulders and picked up the bottle of whiskey. I placed it carefully in my bag as I did not want anyone to see that I was drinking in public. Even in England, that was frowned upon.

I walked the 10 minutes from my apartment to the train station, which was no mean feat in heels, and waited for the next train. I wondered if I should reply to Jiyong? I typed a drawn out response:

‘Hi Jiyong. Thankyo u for texttttt. Yes I LOVE to come along OPPA xxxxxxxxx xxo’.

However, I realised the alcohol in my system was _not_ helping the situation so I just replied ‘see you soon’. It took me around 2 minutes to carefully type it out without trying to sound like a drunk. I giggled to myself in anticipation. The couple next to me on the platform looked over at me, wondering what I was laughing at. Luckily, the train pulled up and we all got on. I found myself a seat and gazed out of the window pretending I was in one of their music videos. _What was I doing?! Snap out of it._

The announcer spoke, telling us that we were at Sinsa station. I followed the crowd out of the station and headed to the right hoping that the map on my phone was telling me to go in the right direction. Butterflies danced in the pit of my stomach as I thought about the night ahead. I knew I needed to be calm and play it cool if I didn't want to come across as an idiot. 

I finally approached the Starbucks but I didn’t see anyone that I recognised outside. Glancing at Jiyong’s message on my phone, I wondered if this was a prank. I could imagine them all, especially Seunghyun, looking down from their apartment and watching me nervously glance around. I bet he loved playing games with people: he certainly looked the type.

“Hello,” came a soft voice as I felt a hand on my shoulder. “You are Jiyong’s friend, yes?”

The voice belonged to a girl, who appeared to be around my age. She had short, brown hair and thick black eye make-up. She was dressed in a long, black summer dress with chunky pink Doc Marten boots. I turned round to where she was stood, looking rather shocked indeed.

“Yes,” I responded with a quizzical look.

“Hello, dear chingu! I am Moon Sooyun, it is lovely to meet you,” she said as she bowed to me.

I told her my name and she smiled. Sooyun explained that it was safer for her to come and collect me because Jiyong may have been bombarded by photographers or fans if he was seen loitering outside of a Starbucks. I understood that logic, it made sense.

Sooyun took my arm and led me behind the building and to a set of double glass doors. With delicate fingers, she pressed a golden button on the door, which I assumed to be a buzzer. It made a loud ‘rrring’ noise as it unlocked the door. We walked through the carpeted entrance and waited for the lift. As we got into the lift, she pressed the button for the 24thfloor and I my heart began to beat nervously as we drew closer to the apartment.

Sooyun began saying that she thought I would be taller and have blonde hair. She then continued to tell me about one of her friends from high school who was from England who was tall and had blonde hair. However, I stopped listening to her as the lift began moving through the building. When we finally got to the 24thfloor, I took a deep breath and clutched the whiskey bottle in my bag. Sooyun continued talking to me and I was grateful that I had someone to cling to during the party.

“Ah, here we are,” she said in light tones as we came to the door of their apartment. Sooyun told me that all of the boys shared an apartment as per the agreement with their label. _Great. So Mr Grumpy would definitely be there._ She knocked the door softly and the door opened.

“Yahhhh! Hello, laaadies!” came an unfamiliar voice as he opened the door. This was clearly Senguri, his handsome face framed by his blonde hair. I was glad he seemed drunk. It made me feel as if I was not the odd one out as I was already half cut. He bowed to both Sooyun and me, winking at me as I followed Sooyun inside.

Their apartment wasn’t as big as I thought it would be considering 5 men were sharing with each other. The door opened onto a living area with two sofas and two arm chairs which were positioned in front of a television. There was a record player in the corner and a few of the band’s gold discs on the wall. Behind one of the sofas was the kitchen with modern fittings. A portion of the kitchen was hidden behind a wall. I didn’t see the rest of the apartment.

“Good evening!” Jiyong said as he got up from his chair and hugged me. “I am so glad you could make our little party. Please, come and sit down!” he said, taking my hand and leading me to the sofa.

I scanned the room, taking in the atmosphere. The room smelt faintly of cigarette smoke mixed with the vanilla candles that burnt brightly on the coffee table in the middle of the room. Seungri came and sat on the armchair opposite the sofa, Daesung was sat on the floor next to Seungri’s chair and Taeyang was stretched out on the other sofa playing a guitar. Sooyun sat in the other armchair and watched Taeyang intentely. There was no sign of Mr Grumpy _thank goodness._ I was slightly taken aback, however, because there were no others at the party. Jiyong said that there would be more people, especially more girls. It was just Sooyun and myself.

“So, Sooyun, did you see anything nice outside?” Daesung said as he tried to make conversation, in English, with Sooyun. I felt guilty they were talking in English for my sake. It was obvious it was a bit awkward.

“Yes, I did, I found this lovely little lady,” she replied as she smiled at me.

“Hello, everyone,” I said as I did a little wave and internally died inside. Daesung waved back and laughed.

The boys began telling me about their recent trip to England, talking about the shitty weather and the strange food.

“Strange food?” I blurted out, “you eat dried eggs here, that’s strange!”

“I loooove dried eggs. They are everything,” chuckled Seungri.

Taeyang continued to play his guitar and the atmosphere was relaxed.

“Would you like a drink, Cheonsa?” Jiyong said to me.

“Actually,” I replied I’ve brought my own to share. I clumsily took the whiskey bottle out of my bag.

“And you’ve obviously had some, eh?” Daesung said. “Share it then!” His outstretched arm went to grab the whiskey from my hand until Seungri kicked it away.

“Don’t snatch, naughty!” shouted Seungri.

“There are glasses in the kitchen, I will fetch some,” Jiyong said with a smile.

“No, it’s ok,” I insisted. “I will fetch them, you boys stay there.” In truth, I wanted to have a nosey in their kitchen and take a giant swig of alcohol without anyone seeing. I told myself it was to steady my nerves.

I got up and Jiyong pointed to where the glasses were. I could here them start up a conversation in Korean, which made me feel extra worried. _Were they talking about me in a good or bad way?_

Upon entering the kitchen, I put the whiskey bottle on the counter and unscrewed the lid. I slid back, behind the walled section of the kitchen so no-one could see me. Taking a huge gulp of the alcohol, I could feel its firey touch as I swallowed it but then I almost spat it out in shock.

“I didn’t think you’d show up,” came the deep voice from behind me. I didn’t see him at first, as he came from the sliding door that led to the balcony. He smelt of cigarette smoke. As I turned around, I saw a smirk curl on the edge of his lips. _Damn he was handsome._ He was wearing a suit and he had a glass of whiskey in his hands.

“Fill me up then,” he gestured with his glass to my bottle, with his irresistible fuck-me eyes. His face said it all. 

I didn’t know what to say to him, I was literally too nervous to say anything. I took the whiskey bottle and poured some of the mixture into his glass trying so hard not to spill it like I did with the coffee. His stare was burning into me and I could feel the electricity coming from his body as I held the bottle near him. I stopped and put the bottle down.

“Excuse me,” he said as he started to lean over me, “I need some ice.” As he said this, he leant over me and grabbed some ice-cubes from the fridge-freezer. His body was now touching mine and it made my legs weak. _He was such a tease._ As he leant over me, I could feel his breath on my neck, warm and heavy. His thigh was brushed up against mine and it was almost as if he was pushing himself into me. He knew what he was doing. 

Pulling back slowly, Seunghyun plonked the ice into his drink and as he took a sip, he never took his eyes from mine. _God, he was good at this._

“Come and sit down then,” he laughed as he walked away and joined the others. _A professional flirt._ In a trance, I grabbed the glasses from the side and brought the whiskey over, trying to hide how turned on I felt by him. I sat back down next to Jiyong, who poured the drinks for everyone. Sooyun looked at me and smiled. _Did he flirt so hard with her?_

We spent the evening talking, laughing and drinking. I was actually having an interesting time but I wanted to take everything slow and build friendships. Jiyong and Seungri were dancing, Taeyang (who _insisted_ on me calling him Youngbae) was quiet but attentive and Daesung was the life and soul of the party as he continuously told jokes.

As the evening came to a close, Seunghyun came and sat on the sofa near me. I shuffled over, as I was certainly not about to start playing him at his own game. As Daesung carried on telling jokes, I could feel Seunghyun’s hand rest on my leg. He began moving it slowly further up my thigh. No one noticed as they were all too busy having fun dancing and drinking. I don’t know if it was the whiskey controlling me but I did absolutely nothing to stop it and boy was it turning me on.

Sooyun joined in with the dancing and pulled Youngbae up with her. They were all having a whale of a time and I was laughing with them until he leaned in close and whispered if I would join him for a cigarette on the balcony. I looked at him with glassy, drunk eyes and he grabbed my wrist , leading me out into the kitchen and through the balcony doors.

The cool air outdoors sent shivers down my prickled skin, hot with fever for him. 


	7. Chapter 7

Standing high above the city on the 24thfloor, my head began to spin. It could have been the copious whiskies or it could have been standing next to the intoxicating Seunghyun – who knew? In the moment, all I wanted was for him to put one hand on the small of my back and the other in my hair as he kissed me. _Hard._ I could have cut the tension with a knife.

He stood next to me on the balcony, taking long, slow drags on his cigarette. After every other drag, he would sip some of his alcohol. He was a pro at this. 

"Do you like it up here?" he asked as he surveyed the view.

"Yes, it is stunning. I love that you can see the whole cityscape. It is like looking down on reality. So near yet so far," I replied as I tucked a stray hair behind my ear, sounding like Socrates. 

He laughed. I don't know why he found that funny. It was almost as if he looked down on me and found me unintelligible.

"So you understand my predicament then," he said with a stern tone.

"What do you mean?" I asked him as I turned to face him. He was leaning on the edge of the railings, flicking the ash from his cigarette into the great abyss.

"You understand that this life we lead, it is not reality."

"Sure, it's probably different to mine but aren't all lives different?" I asked him, trying to sound sympathetic. In all honesty, I had no idea what to say to him.

He laughed again at me.

"It's ok, I don't expect you to understand. After all, you can't even understand Korean."

_Wow, sick burn there, dude!_

I didn't know what to say so I took another drag on my cigarette and drank some more alcohol, hoping to gain some liquid confidence.

He turned and faced me, his deep eyes full of schemes and plans. His face was like a map and I desperately tried to read what it was trying to tell me. He was biting his lip in anticipation as he began to walk closer to me. Even though he had probably drank close to double what I had, he was smooth and sophisticated: there was no stumbling here.

"Understand this, little girl," the rich aroma of his voice danced in my ear as he came dangerously close to me, titling his head towards neck. "You don't want to get involved with me. You wouldn't be able to handle _this_." As he said that final word, he grabbed my hand that was holding the cigarette and thrust it onto his rock hard cock. Without even thinking, I let out a quiet moan, feeling no shame or restraint. He shifted his gaze and looked deep into my eyes and held my hand there for what seemed like an eternity. I let go of the whiskey glass I was holding in my other hand and it smashed onto the balcony, dispersing into hundreds of tiny pieces. I could feel the heat of the cigarette slowly edge closer to my hand as he held it against his throbbing cock. I grabbed it like the thirsty bitch I was. The sound of the glass shattering on the floor didn't couldn't even distract us from this moment. He balanced his whiskey glass on the side of the balcony, with no regard for those below us if it fell and put his finger underneath my chin, bringing it closer to his. I could almost taste the bourbon on his lips. I closed my eyes when I heard him laugh as he pulled away. 

_What the holy fuck? Why did he just pull away and laugh?_

I looked at him like a deer in the headlights. He had turned away from me and was running his hands through is hair in an almost nervous reaction. _That bastard was playing with me._ I looked down at the smashed glass on the floor and the mess it had made. I didn't know what to say to him: I was half desparate for him to fuck me there and then on the shards of glass and half desparate to jump off the balcony in sheer embarrassment.

"You have no idea what I can and cannot handle," I retorted, trying to sound playful but probably sounded angry, frustrated and damn _thirsty for him._

"Handle what?!" came the drunk voice of Seungri as he swang round the corner of the balcony, grabbing onto the door for dear life. He was clearly very inebriated and he missed the door handle completely and fell face first into the smashed glass on the floor.

"Good grief!" I screamed as Seungri's blood mixed with the whisky and Marlboro ashes on the floor. Seungri was completely numb to the pain when he came to a stop on the floor, he rolled over and began laughing, wiping the blood from his face and kicking his legs in the air in glee.

Seunghyun began lauging as well. _Was it at me or Seungri?_ He said something in Korean and bent over laughing, slapping his thighs.

"Fucking Seungri!" Seunghyun shouted inbetween bouts of laughter.

" _Fucking Seungri!"_ Seungri joined in as he began to laugh too. I had no idea what to do so I started to laugh as well.

Jiyong and Youngbae came running onto the balcony to find the strange scene. As everyone was incredibly drunk, no one had the sense to get bandages or at least a towel for Seungri to clean himself up.

"Whoooops!" Jiyong giggled as he went over to Seungri. As Jiyong bent over, he put his hand down onto the floor and straight into a shard of glass. "OWWWW, FUCKKKKK!" He screamed (as well as some Korean, which I have no idea what he said. (He could have said I love pink rabbits for all I know).

Youngbae started to cry. "Guys, what the _fuck_ has happened? Are we all dying?"

Seunghyun, the suave bastard that he was, lit up another cigarette and said in his know-it-all and very matter-of-fact way, "Youngbae, darling, Seungri is dead."

_What the hell. They had a twisted sense of humour._

They all fell about laughing and squealing, causing one of the neighbours on the floor below to shout something angrily in Korean.

Sooyun and Daesung came creeping out onto the balcony, hair messed up and fingers interlocked. They had clearly been getting into drunken mischief of their own.

"Ohhhh dear me," Daesung laughed, "SEUNGRI. IT IS THE SHINING YOU ARE JACK NICHOLSON." 

Again everyone laughed. I stood and stared at the situation, not knowing what to do. I reached into my pocked and offered Jiyong a tissue to help stem his bleeding hand. Youngbae, still crying, buried his head into Seungri who (even though was bleeding from various cuts to his face) was laughing and screaming 'EEEEEVERYTHING'. Daesung and Sooyun were giggling inbetween kissing each other and the villain Seunghyun stood there, watching the whole scene play out infront of his eyes.

"I think we need to call YG," laughed Daesung.

"YG is gonna be angry. Ang-YG," squealed Jiyong. Everyone laughed at his stupid pun.

YG was Yang Hyun-suk, the CEO of their record company. Calling him was a very, very bad idea.

"Oh yes, let's call him, he will know what to do!" chuckled Seungri. I thought that he was being sarcastic, but it turned out he was serious. Seungri pulled out his phone and dialled. 

"Yes, please, Mr YG. Mr GY. Mr Man. I am DEAD. PLEASE HELP MEH." He put the phone down and bellowed with laughter. Jiyong joined in and they collapsed in a heap together. 

Even though I was almost as drunk as the boys and Sooyun, I thought that the scene should be cleared up before YG got there, now he had clearly been called. As I tried to step over Seungri and Jiyong, Seunghyun leant over and pulled me close to him, his right hand on the small of my back and his other hand holding my arm tightly.

"Don't forget what I said, little girl. This isn't finished." He pushed me back and winked at me. He was a sadistic, cantankerous little shit.

"Sooyun, help me find something for Seungri and Jiyong," I said with panic and concern in my voice. She knew that calling YG was a very bad idea so she unleashed herself from Daesung's grip and grabbed my hand, leading me to the bathroom. There were boys' pants and socks everywhere: it was not tidy. We grabbed a few towels and rushed back to the balcony. Jiyong was cradling his hand and starting to understand the seriousness of what had happened. Seungri was still lying on the floor, spread eagle and laughing and Youngbae was still crying furiously. Seunghyun had handed Youngbae his drink and was egging him on to drink it. Daesung was probably the least drunk and he began to help Sooyun and I tend to the injuries.

"We are literally dead meat if YG sees this," he whispered to us as we crouched down to help.

Just then, the front door to the apartment slammed and knew what to expect.

"GAESAEKKI!" shouted the angry man who had just appeared on the balcony. He had a timid looking woman standing behind him, taking notes. He looked at me with utter disgust and screamed in my face. It was something in Korean and I didn't understand so I just stared at him.

There was an awful silence for five seconds that seemed like five hours. I could feel my heart beating in my throat I was so scared. The man, who I presumed to be YG, crouched down and looked at Seungri and Jiyong, putting his head in his hands.

"GET. OUT." He screamed at me. With hot tears running down my face, I ran out of the apartment an into the elevator wondering what the holy fuck had happened. 


	8. Chapter 8

It was the middle of the night and my head was banging. I had managed to make it back to my apartment in one piece despite looking as if I had been in a fight with a giant mascara in a wind tunnel. Make up was running down my face and in an attempt to wipe it off, I had rubbed it and made it worse. The train ride home was certainly one I did not want to remember.

As I tossed and turned in my bed, I couldn't help but feel distraught. Not only had the CEO of one of the biggest record labels shouted at my face, I just didn't know where I stood with Seunghyun. He blew so hot and cold, like an Arctic chill in the Sahara Desert. I felt upset for Seungri and Jiyong: they had been injured because of my stupidity. How would that affect their upcoming schedule? I resigned myself to the fact that I wouldn't heard from them again. It would be awkward going into work and seeing Ban Yu-mi as she would bound to hear what happened from Seunghyun at some point.

I shook my head, trying to get thoughts of the evening and the boys out of my mind forever. With a heavy heart, I wondered if this life in Seoul was for me? Maybe I should pack it all in and head back home _where I spoke the language and didn't cause problems._

A few hours later, I awoke with the sun streaming in through the blinds. My head hurt still and I knew I had to get up for a glass of water. I checked my phone and there were no messages. I had secretly hoped that one of them would text me to let me known if Seungri and Jiyong were ok. I had secretly hoped that Seunghyun would want to whisk me away on a romantic date. It was never going to happen because he was a player. I laughed to myself because I realised he had probably done this the night before with another woman and would probably be doing it again tonight.

I spent the rest of the day moping around my apartment, even watching TV. At some point in the early evening, I ventured out the the McDonalds near my building to smash a mountain of junk food. In the rush of the Korean evening crowds, I thought I saw Seunghyun and his fantastic, white smile but it was not him. _Why couldn't I get him out of my head?_

* * *

Luckily, Ban Yu-mi had not heard of the fiasco at the apartment. Over a week had passed and I had heard nothing from the boys. As I prepared coffee for some of the customers that morning, I prayed that I wouldn't get in trouble with YG. Part of me was worried I would be sued for endangering one of their most successful acts.

Mr Rin was sat in his seat, drinking his coffee and the shop was relatively full. For the first time in a few weeks I was busy, which was good as it kept my mind off the situation. Of course, there were news reports that Seungri and Jiyong had been involved in a crash but were recovering at home. _Bullshit. They hurt themselves on fuckery-glass that I smashed._

"Cheonsa?" I heard Ban Yu-mi call as she asked me to clean up the tables at the back of the shop. As I approached the tables, I caught my apron on the side of the counter, causing it to rip. Out fell the drawing of Seunghyun that Mr Rin had made. I did not want to see that villain's face after he led me on and didn't bother to finish what he had started. Angrily, I crumpled it up and put it in the bin with the debris that the customers had left on their table.

The door bell chimed as more customers walked in. Ban Yu-mi was behind the counter taking the orders and she asked me to help her make the coffees. I was glad of the distraction as I poured the milk into the frother and sprinkled cinnamon flakes onto the coffees. I made each one carefully as I was adamant that I wasn't going to mess something up in my life. As I was making the last coffee, Ban Yu-mi asked me to make an Americano and a mint hot chocolate. I was quite jealous actually, as the mint hot chocolate was one of my favourite drinks at the shop. I made sure that I put extra cream into the drink because if I couldn't enjoy it, I wanted to make sure the person drinking it could. Holding both of the drinks in my hand, I turned around and saw him standing there.

"Oh," I blurted out, trying not to drop the drinks in shock.

"Hello, cheonsa," he said with his voice like honey dripping from chocolate.

He looked so delicious in his long black jacket and black trousers. All the disdain and hate I had for him for leading me on melted away.

"Take your break," Ban Yu-mi insisted as she gestured at the mint hot chocolate. I wasn't sure why she was trying to make this happen, considering he was such a player.

I followed him over to a table at the front of the shop. It wasn't his usual table but it would do. I couldn't believe he had the cheek to show up here after the incident but I damn was I grateful to see his handsome face again.

"So," he said as he sat down and lit up a cigarette, "did you have fun the other night?"

_Fun? Was he having a laugh?_

"Is that your idea of fun?" I replied, sipping my hot chocolate. It was too hot and I burnt the roof of my mouth but tried desperately not to show it.

"Look. Things like that happen all the time, honestly, it's fine."

"Fine? Your CEO shouted in my face after I caused two of your bandmates to sustain injuries. I am sure the situation is not fine."

"It's taken care of," Seunghyun said with self-assured tone. "Seungri was far too drunk, he would have injured himself anyway and Ji, well, Ji is clumsy enough without alcohol."

I began playing with one of the napkins on the table, fussing with it because I was unsure how to react around him. There was a silence as I listened to the other customers chatting half expecting him to tell me that I couldn't handle him and his big dick energy.

"I heard you have my umbrella at your apartment?" he asked in a nonchalant way.

_Oh shit, I forgot about that._

"Oh, shit. Was that yours that I borrowed?" I said as I lied through my teeth. I knew it was his.

"I'd quite like it back at some point," he said as he laughed at me.

"Yes, sure, I will bring it in tomorrow and you can collect it. Shall I put it behind the counter?"

"No," he said as he took a long drag of his cigarette. "Bring it to our apartment."

I looked at him as if I had seen a ghost.

"Don't worry," he said as he got up and put his coat on, "YG won't be there."

He gently took the napkin that I was playing with and wrote down something on there.

"Call me later, Cheonsa," he said as he smiled at me whilst turning around and walking off.

 _What. A. Tease._ I thought as I watched him glide down the street. I felt my cheeks redden with blush and I turned around to see Ban Yu-mi giving me the thumbs up. 


	9. Chapter 9

  
  
  
Walking home was a different experience to usual as I actually felt excited about something. I clung to the napkin in my pocket so that it didn't mysteriously fly away in a freak gust of wind. He said _call. me. later._ When was later?

Unlocking the door to my apartment, I swanned in as if I were walking on clouds in the sunshine and kicked off my sneakers. I took the napkin with his number on and placed it on the coffee table as I went into the kitchen to pour myself a glass of white wine. I wanted to pick up the phone and call him with every fibre of my being but I resisted because no one likes the smell of desperation. Instead, I took my glass of wine and collapsed on the sofa, staring out of the window at the bright lights, big city.

Around half an hour passed of me sipping wine, staring out of the window, staring at the napkin and _repeat._ Finally, I cut the crap and picked up the napkin and my phone. By this point, I had probably drank three glasses of wine which was not helpful in remaining calm and rational.

In my head, I played through the different messages to send him:

Hey Seunghyun, do you want your umbrella tonight or tomorrow? _No._ _Too formal._

I've had three glasses of wine, I'm sure I could handle you right now. _NO!_ _Too desperate._

Instead, I settled with: Hey, do you fancy some company?

_SEND._

The blood rushed from my head and made me feel dizzy. I automatically threw my phone onto the sofa as I did not want to know if I he had replied or not. I tried to remind myself of what a pure tease he was on the night of the party. He was dangerous but I really did not care.

A few minutes later, my phone buzzed and I saw his reply: Yes. Come over now.

_Now?!_

As quick as a flash, I sprinted into my bedroom and found a clean pair of skinny jeans, a skinny black t-shirt and my leather jacket. After brushing my hair and quickly re-applying some make-up, I headed for my front door, shoving my sneakers back on, ramming a packet of cigarettes, my phone and my purse into my leather jacket pocket and locked the door with my keys.

* *

Standing outside their front door made me feel nervous again. I couldn't be sure I knew what I was in for by going back but I was confident that this was what I wanted. Knocking with a feeble tap on their door, I was greeted by the Villain who was wearing sweatpants, a white t-shirt and white socks, his black hair spiked up. He had round glass on and looked perfectly poisonous.

"Shh, come in but don't make a sound," he said in hushed tones as he ushered me in. He cocked his head to indicate that I should follow him and I did. I could see that Daesung and Senguri, with his cut face, were sat with their backs to us on their laptops. I had no idea where Ji or Youngbae were.

Following Seunghyun like a lamb to the slaugher, I could see that he was leading me into his bedroom. _His bedroom... oh so that is how it is._

The walls of their apartment were lined with pictures of them at photoshoots, award shows and other celebrity events. I tried to study them as Seunghyun rushed me past, turning my head to see them dressed up in the most obscure of outfits then suddenly...

"Argh!!!"

I had walked into the plant pot that was stood at the bottom of the hallway next to Seunghyun's room, sending plant pot and dirt _everywhere._

"For fuck sake, get in here!" said Seunghyun through gritted teeth as I tried to swerve past the leaves and dirt. I was about to dive into his room when I heard Jiyong's familiar voice.

"Ohhhhh, _I seeeee_ what's going on here, we seem to have a visitor!" he said with a cheeky grin. I looked up at Seunghyun, who seemed annoyed, and turned around to face Jiyong. He was wearing yellow Spongebob pyjamas with a long, baggy grey jumper over the top.

"Hi, Ji," I said bashfully. He knew what we were up to.

"So, are you over to hang out with Seunghyun?" he winked.

"No," I replied as I tried to keep a poker face. "I came here to bring his umbrella back. He left it in the coffee shop a few weeks ago."

"Which you conveniently forgot," Seunghyun whispered under his breath.

Just then, Seungri appeared, poking his head around Seunghun's door. He eyed up the situation and the plant on the floor.

"I mean I knew you were dirty, Tabi, but I didn't know you wanted to involve actual dirt _."_ He laughed and pushed Jiyong on the shoulder who then butted into the wall loudly.

The door opposite Seunghyun's room subsequently opened and out popped Youngbae, looking around to see the cause of the commotion.

"Oh, hello," he said with a smile as he bowed to me. _What a polite boy he was!_

Seunghyun put his hands on his head in despair and muttered something in Korean.

"Well, this is a very friendly gathering isn't it?" laughed Seungri.

"What's going on?" asked Youngbae as he saw the victimised plant on the floor.

"I knocked it over by accident," I replied, bending down and shovelling bits of dirt back into the pot in a desperate yet futile attempt to tidy up and diffuse the situation. Youngbae bent down to try and help me, looking at me and smiling helpfully.

"Looook outtt!" I heard Daesung yell as he came running down the corridor and pushed into Youngbae, sending him flying into the wall. "Ooops!"

"You are all mad," I said as I propped the plant pot back up against the wall. There was a silence as I waited for someone to say something _and possibly leave Seunghyun and I alone..._

"Right then, goodnight boys," Seunghyun hinted as he gave them all 'the stare' and beckoned me into his room. I began to move into his bedroom, stepping over Youngbae and Daesung who were sprawled on the ground, picking at bits of plant on the floor.

"I've got a plan...t," muttered Seungri as he put his thumb and forefinger on his chin and pretended to stroke an invisible beard. "Let's go out!"

Jiyong clapped, "yes! Let's go to the club and part-tayy, woo! What a good PLAN-t." They doubled over laughing at their silly pun.

"Ah, yes, let's go!" Daesung chimed in. "Can I bring my plant?" he said with pouted lips and he held up a bit of leaf that had broken during the great plant massacre that evening.

"No, no, no, no," came the protesting dark voice of Seunghyun. _Ah, so he does have plans for us then?_

"Aww, please come on Seunghyun," begged Daesung and Jiyong. Daesung began crawling on the floor and started grabbing onto Seunghyun's ankles as if he were begging. Youngbae began to laugh and joined in the begging. Seunghyun rolled his eyes as he tried to shake them off. I stood there, looking down at them and laughed.

Seungri came over to me and put his arm around my shoulders and ruffled the top of my hair with his knuckles. "You wanna go, don't you Cheonsa?!"

I looked at Seunghyun who shrugged his shoulders at me with a slight grin. _Maybe it would be fun to go out for once?_

"Wouldn't YG be pissed off if he sees me with you? I didn't think you were allowed to have women hang around with you?"

"He won't find out," said Seungri.

"I will call Sooyun. She can meet us here. You get in a taxi with her and we will meet you at the club. That way, we avoid the press and YG won't know!" Daesung said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Surely the press will see you outside as you go in?" I asked.

"We'll just go in the back door," said Seunghyun.

"I heard you like going in the back door, Tabi...." Jiyong laughed, looking at Seungri and putting his hands up.

"Oh do be quiet Ji," scalded Senghyun.

It was settled. We were going to go to the club. I had actually never been out partying in Seoul before so it made me feel really excited to experience it. Sooyun came over and we got into a taxi together.

"Do you want to borrow my lipstick?" she said to me as she pushed a golden compact into my face. "I'm not going to wear it because it will just end up over Daesung's face anyway!" she giggled.

"Sure," I said as I grabbed it. I tried very hard to put it on in the back of the taxi taking care not to draw a huge red line over my face when the car went over a bump.

"Are you into him?" Sooyun asked me as she turned and faced me.

"Into who?!" I said pretending not to understand who she meant.

"Into _Youngbae!"_ she said as she put her hand on mind in a friendly way.

"What? No!" I protested. _Where had she got that idea from?_

"Oh! Sorry. My misunderstanding. Forget I said anything." Mysteriously, she turned away and I watched her get her phone and quickly send a text. _How very odd._

As we pulled up to the club, I could see the line of people waiting outside talking to each other, some of them smoking. There were four big, burly men in black coats telling people if they could come in or not. I guessed they were security. Literally dozens of drop-dead gorgeous women in short dresses and high-heels were lining up: they looked like dolls. Here I was wearing sneakers, jeans and a leather jacket.

"Sooyun, I am not properly dressed! They won't let me in," I panicked.

She looked me up and down, her brows furrowed in a puzzled look.

"Hmmmm," she said. Suddenly, she grabbed the neck of my t-shirt and ripped in vertically causing it to create a dramatic v-neck. "There. Booby-licious!" she laughed. I couldn't help but laugh back. We both got out of the taxi and I asked the driver how much it was.

"No, you not pay tonight," he said in broken English. "Kwon Jiyong pay." I owed him one.

As we walked up to the front entrance, I could feel the stabbing gaze of the doll-like women cutting into the back of my head as I held onto Sooyun's hand for dear life. I could hear them whispering in Korean and laughing. One of them began to cough as if she wanted my attention. I didn't turn around because I didn't want there to be any conflict. We went up to the security guards and Sooyun said something to them and showed them something on her phone. Without hesitation, the guards smiled and ushered us into the club.

Loud music was blaring, bright lights were flashing and the whole room was boiling hot. There were so many people in there dancing, drinking and doing only God knows what. Sooyun was still holding my hand and she dragged me through the centre of the room, causing us to knock into lots of people. No one seemed bothered though: they were all either too drunk or too high to care. We approached a hidden section on the top left of the room and went inside. It was dark and lit by hundreds of little candles. I could just make out Seungri by the way he was erratically jumping up and down to the music. Sooyun automatically let go of my hand as soon as she saw Daesung. She ran into his arms and began kissing him frantically. Jiyong began clapping and carried on dancing with Seungri. Youngbae was talking to a group of girls in the corner of the room, checking his phone and sipping his drink. Finally, I saw the Villain sat in the other corner of the room. It was dark but I could make out his features. He had a devilish smile on his lips and he pointed his finger straight at me and beckoned for me to come over. As I went over to him, he leant back on the black sofa so that his legs were wide. He was holding a glass of something alcoholic in one hand. Without even thinking, I went straight over to him and sat on his lap, my face up close against his, grinding up against his hard cock.

He pulled me closer with his free hand and began nuzzling into my neck, kissing it gently in between breaths. He moved slightly so that he was sat inbetween my legs and I let out an involuntary moan as I could feel him pushing up against me.

"Oh, Seunghyun," I said trying not to groan with longing. At this point, my hands were all over him: in his hair, on his neck and grabbing at his face.

He pulled back and looked at me dead in the eyes with that poisonous smile of his. "I told you, you can't handle it." As soon as he said that, I could feel his hips rolling which caused him to grind up against me. He grabbed me close and pushed me into him.

"No, don't do this to me," I begged him.

"I'm going to make you wait for it," he sadistically laughed. He grabbed my left wrist and pushed it onto his lap so I could feel how hard he was for me. His cock twitched as he put my hand on it, causing him to moan in his deep, velvety tones.

Just then, Seungri came over and grabbed at my other wrist, pulling at me to come and join in the dancing. As he pulled me off, I didn't avert my gaze from Seunghun and I watched his eyes follow me around the room whilst I was boogying with Jiyong and Seungri.

We were having so much fun and the drinks kept coming. I couldn't keep count of how many glasses of wine I had been drinking. Different people kept coming up and dancing with us, some taking photos and selfies but no one cared as we were living our best lives. I couldn't see Daesung and Sooyun: I presumed they had found somewhere private to conduct their business. At this point, we had been dancing for over and hour and I was starting to feel a bit dizzy and sick.

"I'm going to sit down!" I panted to Youngbae, Seungri and Jiyong, who had been dancing with me.

"Nooo, don't do that!" Seungri begged as he grabbed my shoulders and started to jump around like an excited child.

"Just one more song!" chimed Youngbae. I was surprised how animated he was. Youngbae was normally shy and polite but I had watched him sink a bottle of wine to himself so he was very drunk and lively.

I apologised to them and said I would be right back. Turning around, I went to walk to the bar section of the club. I hadn't actually been up to this part of the room because drinks were just being handed out to me. There was no one serving at the bar, so I went back to the left hand room where everyone had been at the start. I smiled at I saw the boys dancing and I peered around the tables, trying to see if anyone had a bottle of water. Then, in less than a split second I saw it: Seunghyun was sat, still in his smutty little corner, with his arm around some super-model looking woman and his other hand in between her legs. I stood and stared: it was as if time had stood still and everything was passing me by in slow motion. The whole room began to go blurry and I must have stumbled into someone as I felt them grab me by the shoulders.

"Woah, be careful," he said. It was Youngbae. I didn't say anything to him, I just carried on staring at the villain and his supermodel. He cottoned on to what was happening. "Oh," he said, "that's Ri-na but it's probably best if we don't go over and say hello." I admired that Youngbae was trying to make light of the situation but it didn't help. I carried on looking at Seunghyun like a moth to the flame: doe-eyed and dumb. At that precise moment, Seunghyun looked up from nuzzling the supermodel and caught my eye. I could tell that he didn't mean to be caught out as his expression changed. I couldn't see properly as it was dark but I'm sure the blood drained from his face. _Youre not sorry,_ I thought. _You're just sorry you got caught out._

Without thinking, I grabbed Youngbae's hand and whisked him away to the dancefloor with determination. I was _done_ with Seunghyun and his silly games. As the music began to play, I put my arms around Youngbae and whispered in his ear. I felt his hands move gently all over me: down my arms, around my waist, up the small of my back and onto my bum. He gave it a long squeeze.

"Shall we get out of here?" he whispered in my ear.

"Sure," I agreed in my alcohol induced state. He took my hand, and I interlocked my fingers in his. Seungri clocked what was going on and tapped Jiyong on the shoulder, pointing at us. Youngbae looked at me with half-closed eyes and I could tell what he was thinking. We were both very drunk. We quietly walked past everyone dancing and got to the back door. As Youngbae went to open the door, I saw Seunghyun walk into him, like an angry bull, and pin Youngbae to the wall. He was shouting very loudly in Korean.

"What the _fuck_ do you think you are doing?!" he screamed in Youngbae's face. Youngbae had his hands on Seunghyun's shoulders trying to push him off.

"Get off! Back off!" he was shouting. Jiyong and Seungri came running over and prised Seunghyun off Youngbae.

"Tabi, leave it!" shouted Jiyong as he tried to move his friend into the corner.

"What are you two doing?" asked Seungri as he held onto Youngbae.

"I don't fucking know, he came up to me and started pushing me."

"You're trying to go home with _her!"_ Seunghyun spat as he pointed at me.

Youngbae rolled his eyes at the Villain.

"You're there, making out with your piece of meat – what do you care?" Youngbae retorted.

"Hey, I'd watch what you're calling Ri-na." Seunghyun lunged forwards towards Youngbae.

Daesung and Sooyun had emerged from somewhere and tried to mediate the situation. Sooyun took me to one side.

"I think we should leave," she quietly said to me as she put her arm around me. I looked at Seunghyun and then at Youngbae. They were both staring at me with pleading expressions and eyes full of fire.

_What. The. Fuck._

Reluctantly, I went with Sooyun. Everything was unresolved. I had expected to leave club in the arms of Seunghyun and possible wake up in his bed in the morning. What was happening with Youngbae? Was he so drunk that he was just after a pity-fuck? I didn't know. I was upset that the two friends had been fighting over me. I didn't want that. There was so much I wanted to say in that moment. I wanted to tell Seunghyun what an utter pig he was. I wanted to tell him how much I wanted him. I wanted to tell Youngbae I liked him too. _I liked Youngbae too? God my head was spinning._

Sooyun and I stepped out of the club and waited outside in the cold for a taxi. She put her arm around me and tried to talk some sense into me. The freezing air was sobering.

"Excuse me," came a voice from behind us. It had a high-pitched sing-song quality. "In future, I would like it if you kept your dirty hands away from Tabi. He isn't for _for you_ to be touching." It was one of the doll-looking supermodels from inside the club. The one that had her face all over the Villain.

"Leave it out, Ri-na," protested Sooyun as she snapped back at the woman. "Just leave."

We got into the taxi and I could feel the hot, salty tears of despair running down my face as we drove away from the bright lights of Gangnam. I asked Sooyun to come back to my apartment as I couldn't be alone.

"It will be alright, I promise," she said as she offered me some chewing gum. _Would it?_


	10. Chapter 10

A crowd began to gather around the door. Seungri held onto Youngbae as Seunghyun was still trying to fly at him. Jiyong was struggling to contain Seunghyun.

"Why do you always do this?" Youngbae shouted at Seunghyun as he held his hands out in a shrug.

"It is nothing to do with you what I do," Seunghyun spat back as he unleashed himself from Jiyong's grip. He managed to get right into Youngbae's face and square up to him. "If you ever, ever pull a stunt like that again, Taeyang, I swear you won't be seeing the sun again." Seunghyun was poking Youngbae in the chest furiously.

"Guys, stop," pleaded Daesung as and Jiyong pulled Seunghyun off. Seunghyun arched his shoulders and shot both Daesung and Jiyong a filthy look. He sucked his teeth and sulked off into the crowd.

The boys looked at each other and Seungri let go of Youngbae, who was readjusting his shirt.

"Are you ok, Youngbae?" Daesung asked his friend, putting his hand on his shoulder. Youngbae looked up at him and did a semi-smile, trying to hide how hurt he was by his band-mate's actions.

"Sure, sure, it's fine," he said as ran his hand through his blonde hair.

"There is nothing to see here, move away," Jiyong said as he tried to disperse the crowd of people that had gathered. Some of them had their phones out trying to take photos. Jiyong knew that YG was definitely going to hear about this at some point during the evening. He always did.

"Come on, let's go and leave him to it," Youngbae said with sadness in his eyes. His night had been ruined and he just wanted to go to bed. He wasn't sure if it was the alcohol in his system or the girl but he felt completely ruined. Seungri put his arm around his friend and led the way to their driver outside.

"Thank God you're here," Jiyong said to their driver as he clambered into the vehicle. "Take us home."

**

Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Taeyang, who does he think he is? I brought her here not him. He shouldn't get involved in my business. I can't believe him. Touching her the way he did. They were holding hands. I bet he didn't know she had her hands all over me a few hours before. I can't believe she would do such a thing either. This was all a mistake.

Seunghyun sighed to himself as he battled through the crowds in the club. He wasn't sure where he was going but he wasn't going to stop. He pushed himself out onto the street into the crisp, fresh air. A group of people outside recognised him and came up to him, shouting his name.

"T.O.P, T.O.P, we love you! We love you!" the shouted as they approached him and began pawing at his clothes trying to take pictures.

He shrugged them off and glared at them, his eyebrows squeezed together in displeasure. He carried on walking down the street, the sounds of the traffic drowning out the heavy beating in his ears.

"Seunghyun, Seunghyun, come here. Stop!" Ri-na shouted as she ran, trying to catch up with him. In her high heels, she could barely keep up with his fast pace.

"Ri-na, get away from me, you are poison. Get away," he shouted at her without even turning around to face her.

"I don't know why you're being like this. You love it, you loved it last year, you loved it last week and you love it now," she said with spiteful longing in her tone.

He stopped suddenly in the street.

"I don't love you and I never did. Now back off and leave me be," he shouted at her. She flinched backwards and clearly headed his words. She didn't say anything as she began walking backwards, nearly knocking into a few pedestrians on the street. With one last look at him, she turned away with eyes filled with tears.

Seunghyun felt disgusting. He carried on storming down the street, feeling the inside of his jacket to check that his wallet was still there. He kept walking until he came to the hotel at the end of the street and booked himself a room for the night. There was no way he was going back to the apartment with his bandmates after what had just happened.

When he got into the room, he found the mini-bar and cracked open the gin. Gin and wine? He was known for being a drinker but he had never mixed this before. He wondered how he would feel in the morning.

He slumped down by the bed and tipped his head back, wincing as the firey liquid ran down his throat. Seunghyun wasn't sure what to do. He didn't want to go back to Ri-na. Even though his body loved her, his heart did not. He liked Cheonsa but he didn't know her. He wasn't sure if he liked her with his heart either. Maybe he was just as fucked up as he thought he was?

He checked his phone and there was nothing. Nothing from Youngbae. Nothing from Ri-na. Nothing from her.Maybe, the problem was that no-one wanted him.

**

Youngbae said goodnight to his friends, lying though his teeth when he replied he was alright after they had asked how he was feeling. He couldn't lie to himself: he felt rough because he had drunk so much alcohol and he felt rough because he wasn't sure if he liked her. He thought it was the alcohol talking but he couldn't be sure. 

But she was supposed to be there with Seunghyun? He is a dick. He treats women like they're toys. She deserves better. This wasn't the love she wanted but maybe it could be the love she needed? 

He shook his head as thoughts of her flooded his brain. He laid down on the bed and shut his eyes, trying to think of something else. He couldn't. All he could think of was how sweet she smelt when he whispered in her ear. The feel of her soft skin against his. It made him hard just thinking about it. Youngbae took his right hand and moved it slowly down his stomach and onto his stiff cock, gently pumping it up and down. He bit his lip as he thought of her full breasts and how he longed to squeeze them. He could feel passion building up inside his stomach and he tensed his buttocks, writhing and rocking to the rhythm of his hand.

BUZZZZZZZ. BUZZZZZZZ came the sound from his bedside table. Fuckkk, not now! He reluctantly reached over and read the message on his phone. It was from Sooyun.

"What were you doing?!" she had messaged. He threw his phone on the floor and carried on until he had finished, thinking of her every second, wishing that she was there so he could fuck her instead of his hand.

**

"Oh Sooyun," I whined miserably as we stumbled into my apartment. She poured us both a glass of water and we sat down on the sofa.

"What Seunghyun did was completely out of order. He should be ashamed of himself treating Youngbae like that," she said as she sat up, almost wired with disbelief.

"Who was she?" I asked, leaning forward in anticipation.

"Youngbae is such a sweet guy, he really is." Was she ignoring me?

"Sooyun, who was that woman he was with?" At this point, I was sitting so far forwards I was almost perched on her lap. Sooyun took a deep breath and looked out of the window as if she deliberately wanted to avoid my question.

"I don't think we should talk about her," she replied as she drank her water.

I looked at her and raised one eyebrow. "You can't tell me that I should just forget what happened. Who was she?"

"Park Ri-na. She works at YG, that's how they met. They were together for a year and YG knew about her. Obviously it was kept a secret from the public. I knew of her when they were together because I had started seeing Daesung but one day they just split up. The rumours were that she started screwing around with Yan Ming-suk, who was on the board at YG."

"Oh," I replied with a slightly forlorn tone.

"It's nothing official. I think she still wants Seunghyun. Daesung tells me that he has been going to visit her every now and then. He thinks Seunghyun hates her but can't help himself."

"Well, he is an idiot then, isn't he?" I said to her, sitting back in my chair. Part of me felt completely betrayed by him but another part of me felt determined to win him over. You stupid girl. He is a pure idiot. He is never going to change.

Soonyun and I stayed up chatting for a while. She told me about her 'relationship' with Daesung and she seemed happy. I asked if it was weird hiding her relationship from the public - like that was normal. She also told me how it felt when Daesung left for weeks on end to do promotions, tours and have lots of girls throwing themselves at him. She said they just wanted to be normal. Well Seunghyun has no chance then. He's about as abormal as they get.

**

The days had crept by turning into weeks. I hadn't heard from Seunghyun or any of the boys. I wondered if I had hurt Youngbae's feelings? Surely he was too drunk to remember any of it anyway. It was relatively busy in the coffee shop. Ban Yu-mi occasionally asked about the boys but I dimissed her questions, not telling her what had happened. I didn't want to let her down. 

"Oh, they're doing promotions," I would say every time she asked me.

I did tell her about my blossoming friendship with Sooyun. Ban Yu-mi was impressed that I had managed to make a friend. Sooyun was also teaching me basic Korean. It was difficult to understand, especially with the Hangeul being a completely different writing system to English.

Sooyun would often come into work and sit down, with a cappuccino, and keep me informed about the boys.

"So... they're filming their new music video this week. They've gone to America to do it! I can't believe Daesung is so far away. I miss him so much," she said as she sniffed into her coffee. "I text Youngbae and he hasn't mentioned you, I am sorry." I didn't feel too put out by this because I was sure he hadn't remembered what went on in the club.

"Oh, that's no surprise," I replied as I sat down with her whilst on my break.

"Daesung said that things are still frosty between Bae and Seunghyun. Has he text you?"

I almost spit my coffee out.

"Text me? Who? Seunghyun – no! He's probably got his dick wet with one of their dancers. I doubt he has even thought about me."

As I'd said it, I felt sort of alone. I didn't know what I wanted. There was a pause and I looked out of the window at the leaves dancing by in the autumn wind.

"Should I text him?" I asked her. She shrugged at me.

"I'm not getting involved!" she said as she finished her coffee. "I've got to go back to work but I am looking forwards to seeing you next week."

Oh, shit, next week! I had almost forgotten that I'd agreed to go for dinner with her in Gangnam. She was going to introduce me to the best Kimchi ever, apparently. I hugged her goodbye and resumed my duties in the café. I carried on cleaning down the equipment, wiping the dishes and emptying out the used coffee discs from the metal coffee machine. I looked in its reflection, hoping to see Seunghyun's handsome face staring at me in the blank manner that I was accustomed to but no one was there.

After finishing my shift, I went to the back of the shop and changed my apron for my coat. I checked my phone to see if anyone had text me. No one had. Again, I was all alone.


	11. Chapter 11

  
  
  
We decided that I would get ready at Sooyun's apartment. She lived a few blocks away from me but it was closer to the restaurant we were going to. Her apartment was small but very cosy. She had decorated it in pink and black, with lots of fluffy cushions and candles. She had an obsession with cuddly toys: they were everywhere.

I decided that I would stay the night at her place so that we wouldn't have to rush to catch up over dinner. In all honesty, I was looking forwards to speaking to her about her relationship with Daesung, especially as I knew, from reading in the papers, that he had been linked to some J-Pop icons.

As we were ready to leave, Soonyun suggested that we stop off at the Continental Hotel Bar for a drink first – apparently she didn't have any alcohol at her place. I agreed, after all who could refuse a drink in a nice hotel? We were both dressed nicely. Sooyun had a nice purple dress on which complemented her dark hair and I had a black skinny dress on with my trusty leather jacket.

When we arrived at the hotel for drinks, there were press and photographers outside. This probably should have set off warning bells but I just ignored them because they were a regular fixture in this part of Gangnam. 

As we approached the bar, Sooyun grabbed my wrist and pulled me close, stopping us in the middle of the foyer.

"Don't be mad at me," she said as she squeezed my hand. She lead me to the bar, almost tripping over my heels and I saw him.

_Fucking fuckery shit, shit, shit._

There he was, sitting at the bar in his suit, white shirt and black trousers. He looked impeccable, with slicked back black hair and a smile that could make a demon cry. _Fuck he was gorgeous._ He didn't see me as he was sat at the bar so I pondered my escape, looking behind me to see quickly I could run to the exit.

"Dae!" Sooyun squealed as she saw Daesung sat at the bar.

Seunghyun turned around and we locked eyes. The butterflies in my stomach almost made me throw up and my whole body tingled. I felt this electricity between us, pulling us together like two opposite poles of a magnet. He got up from his chair, towering above me and put his hand out for mine.

"Cheonsa," he said sympathetically. _Sympathetically? Who was this man and what had he done with the Villain?_

I looked at Sooyun, who was entangled within Daesung, and shook my head.

"Ohhh, no. Oh no, not this," I said as I tried to back away from the Villain, my head shaking. A group of hotel guests turned around as the scene began to escalate.

"Here," gestured Seunghyun, "let's sit down here." He pointed to a table in the corner of the room. At this point, Daesung and Sooyun had stopped cuddling and led the party to the table. Seunghyun hadn't let go of my wrist and I reluctantly followed his lead to the table, sighing and rolling my eyes like an adolescent.

"So, how was America?!" Sooyun asked the boys with excitement. You could tell she was bubbling over with glee to see Daesung.

"It was amazing, so much food," replied Daesung as he had a sip of his beer.

"It was interesting. Not much time for anything other than work," said Seunghyun as he looked at me. "Do you want a drink?"

I looked at Sooyun, who nodded. I rolled my eyes, hoping that this would just be a fleeting visit before we left for our girls' meal.

"Fine. _One_ drink then we are going."

He raised his hand and the waiter came scurrying over. He clearly knew who Dae and Suenghyun were as his eyes were as wide as saucers and his smile almost the same size too.

"A bottle of Yellow Label Veuve Clicquot," he said. The waiter bowed to him.

"Champagne? A _whole_ bottle?" I questioned. _This wasn't going to be one drink, was it?_

I wasn't sure how I was feeling at this point. Part of me really wanted to be here with him but another part was just purely pissed off with his blatant disregard of _that_ evening and how he had treated me.

"Don't you like champagne, Cheonsa?" he said to me as he looked me straight in the eyes.

"Don't call me that," I snapped back as I turned my head to look out of the window.

Daesung and Sooyun were attuned to the tense atmosphere so they tried to break the ice with funny anecdotes about when they first met. I wasn't listening to the conversation and I am sure that Seunghyun wasn't listening either. I could feel his feet try and play with mine under the table but I was reluctant to engage with his silly foot-play. I kicked him off. Within minutes, the two love-birds were in a world of their own and I was forced to interact with the Villain.

"Tell me, what have you done with yourself since I last saw you?" he asked me as he lit up a cigarette. I sighed.

"I've been at work," I said, trying to be as difficult as possible. It was hard. He was so bloody handsome.

"How is Ban Yu-mi?" he asked, trying his hardest to be sociable.

"She is annoyed that you've not paid your last bill," I replied in a sour tone. He laughed to himself as he took a drag of his cigarette. The champagne arrived and the waiter asked Seunghyun if he wanted to try it. He shook his head and the waiter poured us a glass each. As soon as the waiter left, I sunk the glass and gave the Villain daggers until he poured me another one.

"Be careful, Cheonsa, that's expensive stuff."

"Well, I am sure _you_ can afford it," I snapped back.

Daesung and Soonyun were chattering to each other and I felt like an idiot sat there with Seunghyun. What had I got to say to him? _Why did you have your tongue down her throat when you were trying it on with me, eh?_ I knocked back the glass of champagne he had poured me. Like all my choices with alcohol, it probably wasn't a good idea because I could feel it going straight to my head. I decided that I wasn't going to have him dictate my evening.

"Sooyun, I'm hungry, let's go," I moaned as I let out a deep sigh and slouched back into my seat.

She rolled her eyes at me. "Not yet, we've only just got here!" she protested.

I was annoyed with her. It was supposed to be our girls' night yet she'd dragged me her to watch her play cutesy-cute with Daesung whilst the Villain reminded me of what I was missing.

"Fine," I huffed as I stood up. "I'm going home. Good _night."_ As I stood up, the alcohol had gone to my head and I began to wobble over. Seunghyun stood up and steadied me. I was drunk.

"No you don't," he said as he caught me with his strong, sturdy arms. I shrugged him off.

"Get off me," I hissed as I tried to elbow him away. I quickly threw my leather jacket on and began to walk away from the scene. He was following me through the bar and into the foyer.

"Stop," I shouted to him through gritted teeth. As much as he annoyed me, I didn't want to cause a scene, especially as I knew there were photographers waiting outside that could capture the glorious argument in full technicolour.

"Listen," he said as he grabbed my wrist. "I've got a room upstairs."

I rolled my eyes and snorted. "Oh, right, that's nice. A room. So surely you want me to follow you upstairs so you can carry on with your stupid _mind_ games?!"

"Cheonsa, stop, you're making a scene," he said in hushed tones, looking around at the people in the foyer who were watching. "Just come upstairs and we will talk this through. There are obviously unsaid things that need to be resolved."

I huffed. _How dare he be so persuasive. He knows what he is doing._ I thought about it and considered my options. If I went upstairs with him, there was the possibility he could hurt me. If I left, there was the possibility I could hurt myself by not knowing what could have been. With folded arms in a sulk, I headed towards the lift. He followed behind me, not saying a word. As we got into the lift, he pressed the button and as the lift doors closed, so did the conversation.

When we got into his room, I sat straight down on the tub-chair that was by the window. He opened the doors to the balcony and stood there in the doorway, the pale moonlight highlighting his tall, sturdy frame. He lit another cigarette.

"It was a mistake," he said as he looked down at the floor. "I have regretted it every second."

"I'm _sure_ you have," I replied as I began messing with a loose thread on the chair.

"Why are you being like this?"

"Like what?"

"You're acting like a child."

 _He was acting like a child._ I decided that it was time for him to hear how he had made me feel.

"A child? You were the one who invited me over, led me on, hell even made me touch you, ahem, intimately and then a few moments later, you had your hands all over and _in_ another woman. How am I being the petulant one here, Seunghyun? You blow hot and cold. One minute you want me, the other youre with someone else. We've been apart for nearly 5 weeks now and you haven't sent me one text. Then you appear at the bar when I'm supposed to be having dinner with my friend, dressed as if you're James _fucking_ Bond inviting me up to your room as if butter wouldn't melt. What is wrong with you?"

I took a deep breath. It felt good to get it off my chest.

"It was a mistake. She... she had hurt me in the past but I am ready to move on."

"Move on? Move on to _what?"_ I replied, still in a mood.

"Move on to something... someone new," he said as he came and sat opposite me on the bed. He put his left hand on my thigh to try and show a degree of affection.

"No," I feebly replied as I tried to shake him off my leg. He stood up and stubbed out his cigarette. As he did, he stood infront of me, his legs either side of mine as I sat in the chair. He pulled me up with his strong arms.

"Don't say no to me, I know you want to," came his reply in his dark, rich tones. _Here he goes again with his player attitude._

"It doesn't matter if I want to or not."

"It does to me."

"Why are you doing this, Seunghyun?"

He didn't say anything back. Instead, he ran his hands down my back and onto my behind, pulling me close into him. He put his forehead on me and hovered his lips above mine. I edged forwards, anticipating the kiss. He smelt how a man should smell and it drove me wild.

"Stay the night?" he asked tenderly as he held me. _Wait? What? Why isn't he trying to madly fuck me like the rampant playboy he was?_

I bent my head and laughed at him.

"You can't be serious. Stay the night?!"

"I want to make this right," he said as he held me tightly in his strong arms.

I would like to say I thought about this carefully but I didn't. In typical me-fashion, I spoke before I thought and one thing lead to another.

"You've got one more chance," I said with hope in my voice. As soon as I'd said it, I felt the pressure rise inside me. Seunghyun obviously felt me tense up so he lead me to the bed and we got under the covers. With clothes still on. _Shocking_. Seunghyun put his arms around me as we lay in the dark. It felt comforting.

"I hear you can't speak Korean," he joked as he turned the tv on, putting on a Korean tv show. I elbowed him as I turned to face him.

"I don't need to anyway, there are _subtitles._ "

"I hope you're good at reading things, Cheonsa," he hinted as he ran his hands down my hips.

"Why, I'm the perfect student, "I replied playfully. "I just need a good teacher."

"Oh, is that so?" he said as he moved himself on top of me, bringing his head down, slowly adorning my neck in little butterfly kisses. I couldn't believe what he was doing. As he kissed me, he pulled my dress up with his hands and I lay back into the bed.

"I can teach you something," said the Villain in his dark, luxurious tone...


	12. Chapter 12

Strong sunglight came flooding through the windows and balcony door. As I began to wake up, I realised that I wasn't at home: I was in an unfamiliar setting. _His hotel room._ Lying extremely still, I tried to turn my head to the man next to me – but he wasn't there. Clutching my pounding head, I sat up, gathering the bedcovers to my chest to protect my modesty. Apart from my underwear, I was completely naked. Curiously, I peered over the bed to expecting to see my clothes in a crumpled pile on the floor. _Great, I'm going to have to do the walk of shame through the hotel in crumpled clothes._ However, my clothes were neatly folded in a pile on the chair by the window. _If my clothes were neatly folded and I still had my underwear on, did we sleep together?_ I had no idea. I looked to my left to see if he was in the bathroom but there was no sign of him.

"Seunghyun?" I whispered trying not to be too loud. There was no reply. Tucking the bedsheet under my arms and wrapping it around myself, I decided to venture out of the bed and investigate. The marble floor was cool under my bare feet so I walked on tip-toes, peering carefully into the bathroom just to make sure he wasn't having a bath or something. _Where was he?_ I turned around and brushed past the table, looking for my phone to see if he had called or text. I noticed there was note left next to the vase of white flowers. As I glanced it over, I saw that it had my name on it. _It must be from him._ I opened it and read it:

"I didn't want to wake you. I had to leave early. Let's do dinner tonight? Choi Seung-Hyun."

I grasped the note to my chest and grinned from ear to ear. I couldn't believe my eyes when I read that he wanted to have dinner with me later. _Maybe he isn't the grumpy villain that I thought he was?_ I wondered where he would take me. Maybe another fancy restaurant? I knew I had to go home and shower, wash my hair and prepare myself for this evening.

When I got home, I jumped straight into boiling hot shower, washing away the dirt of the previous evening. I closed my eyes and tried to think of him on top of me, kissing me slowly on my neck and down onto my chest. It all ended there. _Why couldn't I remember?_ I tried again, thinking of his deep moans and the smell of coconut in his hair. _Nothing._ Abruptly, I opened my eyes and began to wash my hair, replaying the evening's scene out in my head. I could remember going out with Sooyun, seeing _him_ at the bar, arguing with him and even going to his hotel room but the rest was a blur. I got out of the shower and wrapped myself in a towel, deciding that I would call him and find out what his plans were for the evening.

With wet hair and a towel around my body, I slumped down on the sofa and picked up my phone. There was a message from Sooyun asking me how I was but there was nothing from _him._ I scrolled through the names in my address book and pulled up his number, inhaling deeply before I called him. As I did, I was met with a dead tone. _What the hell?_ I tried again and there was nothing. Rolling my eyes, I left my phone on the sofa and went to the bedroom to get dressed. _Is this what it was going to be like?_

In an effort to feel slightly less hungover, I dried and straightened my hair and put on some makeup. Instead of wearing my pyjamas, I put on a pair of jeans and a leopard-print shirt. It made me feel slightly better. For the rest of my day, I thought about doing housework but decided it could wait. I put some music on, read one of my books and telephoned Sooyun, trying to piece together what had happened that night.

"All I saw was the disagreement in the foyer and for some reason, you went up in the elevator with him," she said as we chatted on the phone. "Daesung said they were rehearsing today, so maybe he has his phone turned off because he is at work?"

"Maybe he is with _her?"_ I replied in a panicked tone.

"No, no, I don't think so."

"She works there though, right? What is stopping them from having a quickie in the stock cupboard?"

Sooyun laughed at me.

"You are paranoid. He will call you, just give him time. They have busy schedules."

We chatted some more and after half an hour, she had to go as she needed to go to work. She was a makeup artist at YG entertainment and had a performance with one of the girlgroups. It was getting later on in the afternoon and I felt hungry. I wasn't sure what to make for dinner because I was holding onto the thought that he was going to take me for dinner. Trying to keep the hunger at bay, I rifled through the cupboard to find a box of cookies to snack on. With my box of chocolate chip cookies, I sat down on the sofa and stared out of the window. Dark clouds swirled by and a fog began to cling onto the tops of the buildings in the city. As the light began to fade, I suddenly felt myself feel incredibly low. Tiny droplets of rain began to smack onto the side of the windows. _If Seunghyun wanted to take me for dinner, he would have called by now. Fuck him._

I checked my phone for one last time and upon seeing the blank screen and no messages, I threw it into the sofa cushions. Turning on the television, I found an American film with Korean dubbing and tried to lip-read what the actors were saying. It was a trifling and boring thing to occupy my time. Pulling my knees close to my chest, I heaved a heavy sigh and resigned myself to stuffing my face full of cookies. I even contemplated opening a bottle of wine.

All of a sudden, there was a bang: it made me jump and automatically jolted around to assess my surroundings. It sounded as if something had fallen from a great height. It happened again. I got up and walked very slowly towards to door. It sounded as if something was coming from the front door. With extreme caution, I approached the door and peered through the spyhole. _Good god._ Upon opening the door, I found myself face to face with him.

"Seunghyun, what are you doing here?" I said with a surprised tone.

He had his hands. One hand was holding a bottle of wine and the other a huge brown paper bag which smelt like it was full of yummy takeaway food. There was a heavy-looking suitcase on the floor which he had dragged up the stairs, causing the loud bangs.

"Dinner?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye. I stood there, drinking in the sight of his handsome face. He continued to stare at me with his deep brown eyes, brows slightly frowning and his lips pursed. "Are you going to let me in then?"

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry. Please come in," I said. I turned around and lead the way, kicking the pile of dirty laundry underneath the sofa and picking up empty sweet wrappers, stuffing them into my pockets. I hadn't bothered to clean up my apartment and it was embarrassing, especially as he looked impeccable in his jeans and suit-coat.

"Where shall I put the food," he asked as he hesitated in my small living room, struggling with the suitcase, food and wine. I shoved some books from the coffee table and gestured for him to put them there. "There is a mixture of traditional foods here, I thought you might like the Bibimbap and Bulgogi?"

I looked at him with wide eyes. I'd never tried those things before and they sounded so exotic.

"Bug-loy-gi?" I asked, tilting my head sideways in confusion.

"Yes, it's barbequed beef. It's nice, you'll like it."

He put the food down and took off his coat, looking for somewhere to put it.

"Erm, let me take that," I said as I took it from him and went to hang it on the back of the chair in the kitchen. He was clearly very neat and not impressed that I didn't have a coat hanger. When I turned around and walked back into the living room, I pointed at the suitcase with my foot.

"Are you moving in?"

He laughed. "No, this is some stuff from YG headquarters. We were rehearsing this afternoon for our performance tomorrow and I needed to take it home."

"So you brought it here?" I joked with him. I saw a slight smile grace his face.

"I've come here from work, yes. Well, I stopped off to get food first." He hesitated and stood, in the middle of the living room as if he was waiting for my permission to sit down. I thought he was acting very strange.

"Please, sit down," I offered as I sat down myself.

"Glasses? For the wine?"

I put my head in my hands. _How could I forget wine glasses._ I scurried into the kitchen, aware that he was looking at me. I felt self-conscious as I could feel his gaze upon me. I was glad I'd made a bit of an effort and put some make up on. Noticing that only one wine glass was clean in the cupboard, I quietly went to get the dirty one from the sink and washed it up carefully.

"Do you only have two wine glasses?" he asked me. I had my back to him but I could imagine he was frowning.

"Erm, yes, I... I don't get many visitors," I replied, lying. _No Seunghyun, it's because I can't be bothered to wash them up._

I took them over to him and he uncorked the wine, causing me to jump. I tried to read the label and it looked like an expensive brut. It was quite nice to drink something that wasn't cheap and cheerful for once. Seunghyun was sat on the sofa and I moved the chair from the kitchen in and sat down, maintaining a distance from him. The sofa was so small that his long legs were cramped and his knees were up to his shoulders. He didn't complain.

"So," he said, trying to break the ice, "did you have a good time last night?"

I paused, trying to remember what on earth happened. _I still couldn't remember._

"I enjoyed the champagne," I replied, trying to recall the events from the night. "And, I... I enjoyed the hotel." It was obvious I was playing for time.

"Did you enjoy me?" he asked with a cheeky smile, edging forwards in his seat. He sipped his wine. I nearly choked on mine. _Oh boy, here we go._ I didn't say anything back: instead, I could feel my cheeks burning as I realised we probably had slept together. _He's seen every inch of me and I can't even remember it. How embarrassing._ There was a silence.

"Don't worry, Cheonsa, nothing happened. You fell asleep, that was all."

I breathed a sigh of relief. _Thank GOD._

"Don't look too worried," he jested with me.

"I'm not!" I protested, turning my face away from him. "I just... can't remember last night, that's all."

"So you're saying I'm not memorable then?!"

"No, I didn't mean that, I just meant..."

"That's ok, you don't need to mean anything. I was glad we could spend time together. It was... unfortunate... what happened before. Can we just start again?"

I turned around to face him and I could feel the electricity between us: there was no denying it. I studied his face: his dark eyes, his chiselled jawline and his pursed lips. He was handsome personified.

"Can I try some food?" I asked, trying to avoid his question.

"You're not listening to me," he said, sipping his wine suavely. "Can we start again?"

I looked at him from the side of my eyes and coyly smiled like a silly school girl.

"Yes," I said.

"Well," he replied as he reached forwards and took the food out of the bags, placing them systemically on the table. "I'll begin by telling you about me." He took the lids off the foods, licking his fingers and occasionally grabbing bits of the food and nibbling on them. "My name is Choi Seunghyun, I'm in my early thirties, I'm in a boyband and I like Art." He passed me some chopsticks and grabbed himself a container of food. "What about you?" he asked, his mouth full of food. I wondered how he still managed to sound cultured and polite whilst chomping on rice.

"Well," I said as I grabbed the food he had handed me. "I'm from England and I can't use chopsticks!"

He laughed at me, a low rumble that made me feel excited.

"You can't use chopsticks?!" he said. "Why are you even here?!"

I told him my story about why I had come to Korea. As I did, he listened and wasn't rude, he didn't interrupt me.

"And you'd never heard of me?" he asked. _Wow, that was cocky._

"No!" I spat. "You're not that well known where I come from."

"Wow," he said, running his hands through his hair. "That's refreshing. You probably don't know what it is like to live like this."

"Why?" I asked, shuffling around on the edge of the sofa. I wished I was sat next to him but I was too shy to move so close to him and I certainly wasn't drunk enough yet.

"Can I smoke in here?" he asked me, taking out his pack of cigarettes. I went over and opened the window. I didn't normally smoke in here but I felt like I should accommodate him considering his celebrity ways.

"Sure," I replied. He offered me one and I took it.

"Well," he said, crossing his right leg over his left. "We have been performing as a band for over 10 years and have been successful in many countries. YG has always pushed us and we're well known. It's difficult to do normal things without being recognised. People always want pictures or they want to stop and talk. It's nice to be loved but sometimes I just want to be left alone."

"Why don't you wear a disguise?" I said, almost laughing at my stupid comment.

"And what would that be?"

"I don't know, you could wear a fake moustache and a long wig?!"

He took a drag from his cigarette and bit his lip seductively. "You are really strange, you know?"

I turned away from his gaze. I could feel him undressing my with his eyes, taking in every inch of my body.

"Why don't you come and sit closer to me?" he asked, sitting up.

I looked at him and smiled bashfully. Carefully, I moved to sit next to him, my thighs brushing his. He put his free arm around me and pulled me in close.

"You know, what happened in the club won't happen again, I promise you."

"Are you sure?"

"I promise."

I turned my head to him and look at him straight in his eyes, leaning forwards ever so slightly. Seunghyun kissed me gently, his soft lips brushing mine. I could taste the cigarettes and alcohol on his breath. It felt so good. 

"I want you to come to the performance tomorrow," he said as he pulled away from me.

I took a drag on my cigarette. _Youngbae would be there. That would be awkward._

"Won't YG notice?" I said, trying to think of excuses.

"We will have to be secret. Sooyun will be working it as one of her girlgroups is performing. We can pass you off as her assistant."

"Are you sure you want to mix work with pleasure?" I asked him, cheekily gripping the inside of his thigh, running my hand dangerously close to his cock. I hadn't forgotten how he teased me that night on the balcony and that night at the club.

"It will be fun," he said. "Just don't blow your cover."

I burst out laughing with nervous energy. _Fine. I'd just have to hope that Taeyang hadn't remembered the other evening. I didn't want to make it awkward for everyone._

Despite feeling odd about seeing Youngbae again, I was looking forwards to seeing Seunghyun and the boys perform. I knew _he_ was something special. From the way he looked at me to the way he made me feel. 

We stayed talking on the sofa for hours. We talked about him, his family, his career, me, my career, what we liked, what we didn't like and our favourite books and artwork. There was lots of talk about. By midnight, he told me he had to go. I begged him to stay the night but he said he couldn't, he had to get back to the apartment as he needed to do some writing with Jiyong. He called a driver to come and pick him up. I kissed him goodbye, absorbing every second of him. As he left, he ran his hands down the small of my back and squeezed me tightly.

"Goodnight, Cheonsa," he softly said with one last kiss. As I shut the door, I leaned against the wall and slid down it, dizzy from the excitement of him. I was desperate to see him again. 


	13. Chapter 13

"Youngbae, pass me that cookie," Seungri demanded as he sat in the make-up artist's chair.

"You are going to make yourself sick, Seungri," Youngbae replied as he was sat on the sofa, playing a video game on his phone.

"Daaaesung," whined Seungri, "pass me a cookie!"

Daesung got up from next to Youngbae and with a cheeky grin, he picked up a handful of cookies and threw them at Seungri.

"It's a cookie shower! I'm the Cookie Monster - arghhh!" he squealed, rubbing his hands in Youngbae's hair.

"Eurgh! That's not what I meant you fool!!" Seungri shouted as he picked cookie out of his hair.

"Guys!" said the makeup artist as she was covered in a shower of biscuit crumbs.

"You both need to calm down," came the sobering voice of Seunghyun. He was sat in another makeup chair reading a magazine from Tate Britain. "It's like you've just eaten twenty packets of sugar," he said to Daesung.

"Ah, so that's where my sugar went," replied Seungri as he flicked biscuit at Daesung.

"Boys! Stop right now," came the voice of their manager. "This is a really important show. The executives from New York will be in the audience and we need to impress them."

"New York?" Jiyong asked as he was having his hair styled. "I'm not sure I know any girls in New York. Maybe they can introduce me," he winked at Seungri.

"Well you must make sure you are dress nicely," came a voice of one of the stylists who was fussing around Jiyong.

"I'm dressed to kill, baby," he said as he turned to her and looked her up and down. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Well at least you kill me, Jiyong... with your whinging singing!" Seungri joked as he started a high-pitched impression of Jiyong's voice.

Seunghyun tutted loudly and threw his magazine down with a loud thud onto the table. Everyone turned around.

"What is wrong with you tonight, Tabi?" asked Seungri. "You are being really uptight and irritable."

"Nothing new there then, eh?" Youngbae chimed in as he elbowed Daesung.

Seunghyun gave Youngbae daggers with his eyes.

"Do you still have a problem with me, Taeyang?" he snapped. There was tension in the air. Seungri and Jiyong looked at each other uneasily.

"No, I don't have any problems, obviously," Youngbae winked.

Seunghyun stood up and towered over Youngbae. In response, Youngbae got up and went to square up to Seunghyun.

"STOP!" Daesung shouted as he struck his arms out, looking at both Youngbae and Seunghyun and trying to separate them. "Whatever issues you two have, they need to stop. They're going to start affecting the rest of us. It's not fair."

They both rolled their eyes at Daesung. Seunghyun backed off, grabbed a slice of cake from the refreshment table and stormed off.

"Hey, where are you going?" their manager scoffed as Seunghyun skulked off.

"He's just pissed off because he doesn't like that I was flirting with one of his toys," Youngbae retorted.

"I would hardly call it flirting, you were hand in hand leading her away from the club!"

"Whilst he was fingering his other piece in between takes." Youngbae was full of venom.

"Seriously, Bae, you need to drop it," Jiyong reprimanded. Jiyong was concerned because it was not like Youngbae to be so argumentative and sour.

Youngbae turned to Jiyong. "He has annoyed me with the way he treats women. He's like a vulture." The relationship between Seunghyun and Youngbae had been strained since their altercation at the club and it was beginning to erode into their professional lives.

"You can't carry on this," their managed said to Youngbae. "If the fans catch a sniff of any of this tension, there will be blood. And it will be your blood," he warned. "Especially if YG finds out what you have been up to. You'll all be fired."

Youngbae rolled his eyes. He was fed up of being spoken to like a child. Everyone thought because he was shy that he had no opinions and no feelings. The time had come for there to be a change. He was going to be proactive and do the things he wanted to do. Youngbae was not going to be bossed around by anyone. He had already made his mind up.

"Dae?" Youngbae asked as he leaned into whisper to his friend. "Is Sooyun working tonight with that girlgroup?"

Daesung's ears pricked up at the mention of his secret girlfriend.

"Ah, yes! Yes she is... and I can't wait to see her at the end of the performance." He winked to Youngbae. "Although YG does not know anything about it, so shhhh!"

"Where are they?" Youngbae asked curiously.

"Room 28. Why?"

"Oh, no reason. I need to ask her a question... about... makeup!"

Daesung laughed at his friend and poked him in the ribs. "Fancy a change of career do you?!"

"No!" Youngbae replied, "I just need to ask her a question. It might be about you so if I were you, I'd keep your beak out of it!" Youngbae flicked Daesung in the nose.

"Hey, my poor nose! Just because other people make fun of it doesn't mean you should," Daesung sulked.

Youngbae got up out of his seat and headed out to find Sooyun in Room 28. Their manager sighed and flailed his arms around.

"You do realise we have a performance in just under two hours?!"

"Yes, but don't worry. I will be back," Youngbae's voice trailled out as he walked out of the room.

Jiyong looked at Seungri with a puzzled expression.

"So first Seunghyun goes. Now Bae has gone. Are you off to find the yellow brick road too, Dae?" Jiyong asked Daesung sarcastically.

"We're not in Kansas anymore, Ji-to," Daesung laughed.

"You're all idiots," the stylist replied as she carried on sorting out the clothes.

**

Seunghyun walked slowly down the corridor, his head down, trying to avoid any unwanted contact with others who happened to be walking by. Sooyun had told him that they would be in Room 28, helping out with makeups. He knew the girlband they were helping were due on stage a few hours before BigBang because they were opening the show. Ae he approached the door, he took a deep breath and knocked twice. Giggly voices inside called for him to come in.

"Hello," he said in his deep, rich tones. All the girls stopped what they were doing and gawped at him. Their manager instantly stood up and began bowing at Seunghyun.

"Ah! Mr T.O.P, what an honour it is to have you here!" Seunghyun was used to people singing his praises and treating him as if he were special but it still felt weird to him.

"Seunghyun!" came the voice of Sooyun as she stopped putting powder on one of the girls and went over to hug him. "It's so nice to see you, how are you?"

He was about to speak but she carried on talking over him. "Good, good! I am glad you are well? Well anyway, I know Ye-jin wanted to borrow these highlighters for you boys but I am terribly busy doing makeup for Jae-sook here, so maybe my assistant here can help you." Sooyun winked at him causing him to internally faceplant because she was being so obvious with the secret plan.

Sooyun pushed her 'assistant' over to him.

"Seunghyun, this is my assistant. Her name is..."

"Erm... my name is Dolly. Yes. Dolly. Dolly... Dolly Parton!" She was such an idiot. Everyone knew who Dolly Parton was!

One of the girls in the group squealed. "Ah, I love Dolly Parton! She was so good in Baywatch!" Seunghyun shook his head. Why were these girls in girl groups so ditzy?

Seunghyun looked at Sooyun and her 'assistant' and nearly blew his cover laughing. He couldn't believe they were all playing along. The silly plan was working. He felt giddy with excitement for the first time in ages. He had to get some time with her before the performance. It was all he cared about.

**

I felt like a complete idiot as soon as I said my name was 'Dolly Parton'. Why did I chose that name?!

I followed Soonyun's lead and picked up the box of makeup from the side counter, trying to think of something relevant to say so as no-one picked up on the real situation.

"Yes, sir, can you show me where Ye-min is so I can give her these highlighters?"

"Ye-jin!" interrupted Sooyun.

"Ye-jin! Yes, she really needs these for Jiyong."

"Certainly, Dolly, I will show you where you need to go." There was a twinkle in his eye. He clearly enjoyed this silly game.

The conversation was so un-natural and robitic, I was surprised no-one in the room batted an eyelid! Maybe they were so taken with the fact Seunghyun was in the room?

He bowed and said his goodbyes to everyone in the room. As we left, I could hear them all chattering like a twittering group of birds singing the morning chorus. We walked along the corridor, not saying anything until he took my wrist and pulled me into a door on left hand side.

"That was ridiculous!" I said almost bursting with excitement at the prospect of hiding in a cleaning closet with him. There were piles of cardboard boxes and shelves of cleaning fluids piled high: it smelt like chemicals. As we were squashed into the cupboard, I knocked into one of the boxes, causing it to fall and spill cleaning clothes everywhere. I looked up at him with doe-eyes and felt incredibly silly but incredibly happy.

"Dolly Parton?"

"Well yes, she is a legend!"

"You're so stupid," he said as he wrapped his arms around me. Using his right hand, he carefully tucked some stray strands of hair behind my ear before pausing and then gently putting his lips to mine. I pressed myself into him and instantly felt the heat of his body. He pushed into me causing me to slam back up against the wall. As he kissed me harder, I could feel myself beginning to become turned on, a fever rising in my lower body. He was running his hands down my sides, caressing my body softly until he got to my thighs. Without hesitation, I wrapped one of my legs around his waist, sensing his hard cock as it pressed forcefully against my womanhood. He carried on kissing me, getting increasingly faster as his tongue enterered my mouth and softly tickled mine. He locked his arm underneath my thigh and pulled me up towards him. With his one hand, he unzipped his jeans and pulled his trousers down, revealing his thick, hard cock. At that moment, I was so wet for him and couldn't contain myself. I moaned his name, not caring who heard.

"Shhhh," he whispered, trying to remain calm in the heat of passion.

Using his hand he pushed my dress further up and pulled my panties to one side, using his fingers to carefully part my throbbing womanhood. I threw my head back as I felt his hard tip slowly enter me. As he did, he let out a deep moan as if he had been waiting years for this relief. I thrust my hips back and forth to match his rhythm, clawing at his back with my nails. I was all over him. His hands were steady around my waist as I was riding him. The pleasure was intense: he filled up every inch of my pussy and I loved it.

"That feels so good, baby," I whispered to him through gritted teeth. He let out a deep whimper as he crashed into me forcefully, thrusting as if it was the only thing he knew how to do. Carefully, he moved his left hand from around my waist and pulled my face close to his, kissing me passionately.

BUZZZZ. BUZZZZZ.

"Oh, shit, not now," he panted inbetween thrusts. He tried to ignore it but his phone kept buzzing.

"Be very quiet," he said as he picked up his phone, still fucking me albeit more gently.

"Yes?

I could hear the other person on the line. It was his manager.

"Where are you? We go on in 30 minutes. You need to get back here now for set-up. You have FIVE minutes, Seunghyun!" The manager put the phone down.

"Urgh! This is a fucking joke," he aggressively spoke as he threw his phone on the floor.

"It's ok, we can stop," I reluctantly said slowly grinding on his lap.

"I'm sorry," he replied, kissing my neck. "I promise I will make it up to you, Cheonsa."

"You make a lot of promises," I said as I carefully climbed off him, adjusting my panties and pulling my dress down. I felt so disappointed and frustrated.

"This wouldn't happen if I lived a normal life. We could just be at home, fucking like normal people. Not in some cupboard in a TV studio. It's ridiculous."

I stroked his head.

"Seunghyun, it's fine. You've got a job to do." Again, I lied through clenched teeth. He looked at me and smiled. It made me go weak at the knees. How could I be mad at him?

"I'm sorry. Come and watch the performance with Sooyun. Pretend that you're doing makeup with her. I don't care. I just want you to be there. I will be thinking of you the whole time."

I blushed as I wasn't used to someone thinking of me. He had gone from cold to hot very quickly. I wondered whether he was going to do his usual trick and turn into a villain again soon.

"Seunghyun...?"

"Yes?"

There was a silence and I wasn't sure I knew what to say. It just felt nice to have his name roll off my lips. At the same time, I wanted security from him. I wanted him to say my name and tell me not to worry. He kissed my forehead and smoothed out his shirt and trousers. He didn't say anything else.

Checking that we were both presentable, he opened the door and left the room, leaving to go back to where the others were. As I left, I knew I needed to head back to Room 28 to carry on my rouse as the makeup artist assistant. I peered out of the door and headed to my right. Just as I did, I looked behind me to check the coast was clear. It wasn't. Stood in the corridor was Youngbae with his eyes wide open. His face was pale and he didn't look happy. Oh shit, he saw us. In a desperate attempt to rectify the situation, I feelby smiled to him but he just stood there gasping at me. Oh crap, I thought to myself feeling a strange mixture of embarrassment, shame and disappointment. I shook my head. No I needed to stop thinking about Youngbae. The moment in the club was a mistake.

"Taeyang! Come on, we need to go!" Shouted a voice. It was Jiyong.

Youngbae stared me and I stared at him. Goodness knows what he was thinking. Neither of us moved.

"TAE-YANG!!!" Shouted Jiyong again. Youngbae jumped, as if he had suddenly woken up from a dream and left, following Jiyong's voice.

I wasn't sure what had just happened but I knew that it was the start of something very odd indeed.


	14. Chapter 14

Each bleep of the coffee machine was making my head hurt. My hangover was particularly bad this morning because last night I had been drinking shots with Sooyun, the boys' makeup artist, their stylists and various other members of the YG crew. Yes, shots. I felt terribly self-conscious as I served customers that morning as it was painstakingly obvious how tipsy I had been the night before. Ban Yu-mi had even commented on my appearance, asking if I was sick. Not wanting to change her perception of me, I lied and said I had not slept well.

Last night was an absolute blast. After the incident in the cupboard, I went and cleaned myself up and re-joined Sooyun. I told her about what had happened, including the awkward moment with Taeyang. In typical Sooyun fashion, she giggled when she heard all the gossip but swore she would keep it a secret. We watched the boys' show from the side-lines, feeling a bit like giddy fangirls when they performed. I was in awe with how brilliant they were and I actually felt proud of Seunghyun because he was so charismatic on stage. He knew I was watching him and every time he glanced at me, I felt my stomach flip with butterflies. I tried to play it cool and not make it obvious I was watching them as I didn't want to draw attention to myself and the situation. I made myself busy in-between recordings by trying to touch up the makeup of the girl groups. I actually made a friend in a few of the girls in the groups, including Gigi from GirlClub and Lana from Angel4U.

"Oh my gosh, they're so hot aren't there?" Lana giggled to me as I applied powder to her face.

"Huh? Oh, Big Bang? Yeah, they're alright," I replied nonchalantly, shrugging off her suggestion.

"Which one do you like?" she asked, titling her head to one side. I frowned.

"Erm, I'm not sure I know their names," I lied.

"Well I like G-Dragon," Lana butted in, pointing at Jiyong as they were dancing on the stage. I glanced over at them, trying to pretend I wasn't sure which one G-Dragon one.

"The tall one, he is called T.O.P but most of us know him as Seunghyun, he is really sexy," Gigi purred as she raised her eyebrows at him. A sudden, intense feeling of jealousy bubbled up inside me but I had to control myself because I didn't want to give the game away.

"Oh, right. He is ok I suppose." I think I had successfully pretended that I wasn't at all clued up on them.

"Who do you like?" Gigi said as she poked me playfully in the ribs.

"Ah, I bet she likes Taeyang! All the ladies love his sexy body. He is always taking his top off and showing his ripped abs!" Lana joked with me.

I blushed at the thought of Youngbae's naked body but instantly bit my lip as I knew I was being highly ridiculous. We were drunk and it was a simple misunderstanding.

"Ahhh, look Lana! She is blushing! She secretly loves Taeyang!"

"I do not!" I protested, fighting the urge to tell them about my encounter with Seunghyun.

"I've got an idea, let's set her up with him!" Lana squealed as she plotted with her friend. I looked at them square in the eyes.

"NO!" I protested. "It's absolutely fine, honestly. I am not into him. I think I prefer Seunghyun too," I said as I tried to weasel my way out of the situation. The girls looked at each other and laughed.

"You'd better be careful tonight, you never know who you might be going home with!"

Well. Actually, I do know and it is not Taeyang.

When the recording finished, everyone went back to the dressing rooms for a debriefing until the managers announced there would be an after-party at one of the restaurants nearby. I was sat next to Sooyun on one of the sofas whilst the managers were talking, trying to blend in as much as I could. I could see Seunghyun out of the corner of my eye, watching me and trying to flirt with me. He was being so dangerous. Sooyun glared at him to stop but I was drawn to him, like a moth to a flame. I watched as he sat, slumped in a chair with his legs open, bringing his right hand closer to his crotch and resting on it. When I glanced at him, he squeezed his cock and raised his eyebrows at me. I quickly flinched and turned away, hoping that no one would notice. That bloody cocky idiot is being so obvious. Part of me cringed at how sure of himself he was.

I noticed that Youngbae was sat on the opposite side of the room to Seunghyun, his back to his bandmate. I tried to catch his eye and smile at him but he completely ignored me. Fine.

After the debriefing was over, it was agreed that we would all meet at the restaurant. YG had prepared cars for everyone to drive over but we would have to exit at the front of the building where the paparazzi were. Sooyun told me not to worry but ordered me to stay at the back with her and the other staff.

"You do not want to stand with the boys because the press would make something of it. That would be awful for you and Seunghyun if YG was to find out." She gave me the death stare as if to warn me.

I followed her advice and we trailed behind the group as the boys went in front with a few of their security. Seunghyun turned around and looked for me in the crowd, tipping his head as if he were asking if I was ok. I thought it was very thoughtful of him to do so. As we left the building, the flashes of the cameras were blinding. All I could hear were the shouts of various reporters asking them questions about their new song, their performance and yelling their names. Looking at Sooyun with terror in my eyes, she grabbed my hand and we scurried together to one of the cars.

"Bloody hell," I said as I exhaled a deep breath. "Is that what it is really like?" I said as I watched fans banging their fists on the boys' car, screaming their names.

Sooyun nodded.

When we got to the restaurant, it happened again. Part of me felt very worried for the boys and I just wanted to be with Seunghyun, safe in his arms. I found it unsettling and very weird. No one ever barged cameras in my face and shouted my name, begging for an interview or even a single word. In fact no one had ever begged me for anything. Upon entering the restaurant, the managers sat us all down. Ofcourse I sat next to Sooyun but Daesung was at the other end of the table with Seuynghyun. The chair next to me was free and I noticed that Youngbae hadn't yet sat down. Oh no. How awkward if he were to sit next to me.

"Heyyyy!" Jiyong chimed as he plopped himself down on the chair. "I hope you don't mind if I sit here?"

"Of course I don't mind, Jiyong. How are you?"

"Apart from being the best in the entire world, I'm good thank you. Did you enjoy the show?" he smiled politely as he spoke.

We talked for a while about their performance, life on the road and his trips to England. Despite his reputation as the cheeky leader of the group, Jiyong was sweet and very attentive. Everytime he laughed he would shyly put his wrist to his mouth as if he were embarrassed of laughing. From time-to-time, I would look over Jiyong's shoulder to see what Seunghyun was doing. Even though we were definitely not an item, I felt as if I didn't want any other girls to talk to him. He was sat next to Daesung and a few stylists. I didn't need to worry though because every time I looked over at him, he was looking back at me. He smiled and winked, sending shivers down my spine. He was gorgeous and I couldn't wait to be closer to him.

"So...," came Jiyong with an inquisitive tone. I know what he is about to say. Around an hour had passed since we had sat down and most people had finished eating and had consumed copious amounts of alcohol. For once, I was steadying myself but Jiyong had certainly drunk a lot more than I had. He turned his body round and his knees were touching my chair. He rested his elbows on the table. I could see that a few of the others were watching him: he had a sort of magical energy about him.

"You're not a makeup artist, are you?" he enquired cheekily, causing me to blush. "You're pretending, aren't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Jiyong," I said, turning away from him and trying not to smile. He knew what our game was. He leaned over and put his arm around me.

"Listen, rice-cake, you've got to be careful."

"Careful? Careful of who?"

He paused and looked at the table, picking up an unused pair of chopsticks and started threading them through his fingers.

"Two things. If YG finds out, then you will both be in deep trouble."

"Really? What on earth is he going to do?" I protested, pursing my lips.

"He has ties to the British Embassy. I don't want him to revoke your visa. No one wants that."

Revoke my visa?! Is this guy in the mafia?

"Oh, right. That's very extreme," I said as I tried to sound unphased, despite internally worrying. I really didn't want to be deported: I was starting to enjoy my life in Seoul.

"Secondly," Jiyong began as he leaned in closer. "He has been hurt before. He might seem like an absolute asshole, and believe me, sometimes he can be, but he is damaged and I don't want to see him chewed up and spat out. I don't know you very well and I don't want you to think I am rude but he is one of my closest friends. So please treat him gently because he is falling for you. Hard." Jiyong hiccuped.

I wasn't quite sure how to respond. He was falling for me? I paused and put my hand on Jiyong's leg trying to be reassuring.

"Ji, I am so flattered that you are trying to protect us. I don't want to hurt Seunghyun that's the opposite of what I want."

"Good," he said as he fell into me for a tight hug. "I trust you."

"What's going on here?" enquired one of the management staff nosily.

"Just giving this young lady some advice," Jiyong said with a rambunctious tone.

"Hmmmm," said the manager, "you want to be careful taking advice from this one. He calls himself G-Dragon but he should really be Dark Horse!"

Jiyong laughed, pretending to draw a fist and punch the manager who tried to dodge and walked away happily, going over to talk to Youngbae. I watched intently wondering what they were talking about. I secretly hoped Youngbae was ok. It worried me that I was the cause of his problems with Seunghyun, especially as I hardly knew the guy.

"Come on, let's dance," Jiyong said as he grabbed my hand. I followed him to the dancefloor of the restaurant, looking at Sooyun as if to urge her to follow. Jiyong led me over to the centre of the room to join a group of others. We were all dancing happily and Lana brought over a tray of shots. That was pretty much the routine for the night: dancing and shots. I lost track of how many shots I had downed.

As we were dancing, everyone became muddled up. I danced with Seungri, holding his hands and doing silly movements; I danced with Sooyun and Daesung as if we were all doing the tango; I jumped up and down with Jiyong and Gigi like we were in a mosh pit. Finally, I moved closer to Seunghyun. Luckily, it was growing increasingly dark so no one could really see us. I felt his arms encircle my waist as we were dancing and I felt so protected and so safe.

"Are you ok?" he asked me over the loud music. I had to lean into him to hear what he was saying.

"YES!" I shouted loudly, laughing because I was so drunk.

"GOOD!" he shouted back. "I am so glad you could come."

I felt all warm and fuzzy, the blood rushing around my body. He took my hand in his and held it tightly. I turned around, pretending to twirl. Even though we were drunk, I still remembered we had to be secretive. I looked him in the eyes but not too close that other people would sense something was going on.

"Girrllll, have some more SHOTS!" shouted Gigi as she came and pushed into us. She looked Seunghyun up and down as if she were about to pounce on him. He looked back at her and shook his head as if he were trying to discourage her from coming over to him.

"Seunghyun, you are so handsome. Do you want to go somewhere?" she cooed.

"Not with you," he cooly replied. Well that was blunt!

She looked at him and tutted, slowly skulking back, clearly hurt by what he had said.

"You've offended her!" I said to him, pouting.

"You're my girl, not her," he replied.

"Aww, you're being very smushy. What happened to the arsehole that I first met?"

He raised his eyebrows and pushed me away, gently. 

"Fine, if you're going to be rude to me! I won't be offering you anymore of this tonight then," he said as he move his hands down his side and onto his crotch. It made my legs like jelly to think of him, grinding up against me. I was about to go over to him and kiss him but I knew I couldn't. I turned around, showing him the back of me and bent over pretending to look for Gigi, who had fled the dancefloor. I could hear his low moan as I did so.

"Gigi!" I called as I got up. "Oh look, she's gone now." I decided to go after her in an attempt to leave Seunghyun wanting more. 

"Don't go, I haven't finished with you," he said as he pulled me closer. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see one of the YG managers staring at us. My expression dramatically changed.

"We're being watched," I said seriously. Well as seriously as I could considering I was quite drunk.

"Oh shit," he said as his expression also changed. He swiftly let me go and carried on dancing with Jiyong. Well I say dancing but it was more like standing there looking slightly disinterested whilst bobbing his head to the music.

"Gigi," I called as I fled the dancefloor. It was probably the best decision to leave him as we didn't want anyone cottoning onto what was happening.

As I scurried out of the dancefloor, I went to find Gigi. Even thought she was flirting with my man, I was worried that she was upset and I didn't want her to feel like that. Like a bolt of lightening, I flew past Daesung and Sooyun making out in the corridor near the toilets.

WHAM.

I had knocked straight into someone and they had fallen onto the floor. I was a Clumsy idiot.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry," I said as I held out my hand for him. It was Youngbae. He grabbed it and I pulled him up, locking into his eyes. He had such dreamy eyes.

"Be careful, you don't want to hurt yourself, Cheonsa," he said to me. He looked almost lost, like he was on another planet. We stood for a moment, his hand in mine. After a few seconds too long, I let go, realising what was going on.

"Are you ok?" I asked him. Again there was a pause as if he were trying to collect his thoughts and think of something important to say.

"Look..." he replied, running his hands through his hair. "About the other night..."

"It's fine, it's fine," I said abruptly trying to change the subject. I didn't want to bring it up. I was worried that something was beginning to develop between us and that was not what I wanted. I wanted to be with Seunghyun.

"I... I didn't mean," he carried on.

"YOUNGBAE. BAE. BAE. BAE!!!" shouted Seungri as I saw him bounding up the corridor. I took that as my cue to leave and I walked away, going to look for Gigi.

I could hear Youngbae whisper under his breath. I wasn't sure what it was, but I heard him say something.

"Stop it!" shouted Seungri to him.

As I went into the women's bathroom, I saw Gigi. She was clearly upset.

"You!" she shrieked at me as I went over to console her. "He is enraptured by you! What have you done to him?!"

I tried my hardest to appear clueless but I knew what she was talking about.

"I have no idea what you mean."

"Seunghyun! He is so into you. We were watching you with him, his hands on you!"

Oh fuck. We can't be busted. I had to think of a lie to divert the situation and quickly.

"No you've got it all wrong," I protested. "Seunghyun was helping me out. See, you were right before. I like Taeyang. He is the one that I want." I couldn't believe I had said that.

She stopped and looked at me.

"Ah, why didn't you say so?" She replied obviously cheered up. Suddenly she stood up ask if she had an idea. "I'm going to find him and tell him!" 

"No! You can't! I'm too shy. Please. Promise me?" I begged her hoping she wouldn't say anything. This would only complicate the situation.

"Fine, I promise," she sulked as she walked way admitting defeat. However, I panicked because she raced out of the bathroom. Please don't find him.

I had to go and find Seunghyun and we had to leave before things got worse.


	15. Chapter 15

I managed to find Seunghyun as he was sipping a glass of wine and talking to Jiyong. He could tell there was something wrong by the crazy look in my eyes.

"We need to go. Now," I said, trying not to raise my voice but sounding panicked. Both Seunghyun and Jiyong looked at me with concern.

"Why?" Seunghyun said. I don't think he realised the seriousness of the situation. "Is there a problem?"

"Yes," I bluntly replied. "We need to go." I tried not to stand too close to him. I really didn't want to draw an attention. 

Jiyong and Seunghyun exchanged suspicious glances.

"What's happened, dongsaeng?" Jiyong asked as he sat back in his seat.

I looked around nervously trying to see if anyone was watching. Why couldn't he just do as he was told and leave? Why did he have to be so bloody stubborn?

"Just...we have to go. Gigi has figured us out. I had to lie. I said I wanted Youngbae to distract from us. She's drunk and she's probably gone to tell him. Fuck knows whats going to happen now."

Seunghyun's eyebrows raised and he suddenly sat up in his seat.

"Jesus," he replied putting his head in his hands. Jiyong put his hands on Seunghyun's shoulders.

"Oh, hyung. What a mess you're getting yourself into!" Jiyong tutted. 

Seunghyun tipped back his wine and got up. He gave me such a disappointed look. What was I supposed to do? Tell Gigi, 'oh yes I am actually seeing TOP even though YG has specifically said in contract do. not. enter. into. a. relationship. I didn't want him to lose his job and I didn't want to be deported.'

Seunghyun sighed and cursed in Korean, giving me a death-glare. 

"Jiyong. Tell them that I've gone because I've got a headache. They probably won't believe it. You, come with me," he said in an almost tyrannical shout. I hadn't seen him so angry before.

"Seunghyun, I'm sorry, she was watching us," I tried to apologise. I looked at Jiyong to try and gain some sympathy: he shrugged at me. Thanks for the sympathy Ji.

Seunghyun grabbed his coat from behind the chair and smoothed it down. He didn't speak to me but stormed out of the restaurant into the smoking area, lighting up a cigarette. I felt very embarrassed and somewhat upset, eyes darting everywhere trying to see if Youngbae was about to come and cause a scene. Seunghyun lit up a cigarette in the corner and started texting on his phone. I went up to him but he held out his hand to push me away so I stood there like a lost lamb staring at him.

"Get in a taxi," he said to me under his breath. A taxi? Is that how you want to play this? "I am calling a driver. I can't come with you. It will attract too much attention." He shook his head in disappointment. "I can't believe this."

I paused and looked at the floor, shuffling my feet awkwardly.

"I'm... I'm sorr..."

"I don't want to hear it, Cheonsa," he sharply cut me off. "Go and get a taxi. Tell Sooyun you are going. Make it obvious you are leaving because you are tired. Don't bring me into it."

He annoyed me so much. Why was he being so sharp with me? 

I didn't even give him the satisfaction of saying goodbye. Storming off, I bumped into one of the stylists who was having a cigarette next to Seungri.

"Where are you going, moody girl?" Seungri called after me. I didn't answer him. Hot tears rolled down my eyes and I went inside and tried to find Sooyun. I peered into the tables, attracting some odd looks from people. Someone approached me and started talking to me in Korean but I didn't know what they were saying so I held my hands up in frustration and left the restaurant. There were photographers waiting outside and as I exited, some of them started talking to me in Korean.

"Oh do shut up," I said under my breath.

One of them heard my retort and replied to me in English.

"What's going on in there?" he asked trying to get a scoop.

"I don't know," I grumpily replied. "Just a group of idiots." I probably shouldn't have said that.

"Are you okay?" he said as he came over to me. He could see that I was upset.

"No. I need a taxi. Where are they?"

This poor guy. He seemed genuinely worried when I told him I wasn't ok. He walked me to one of the taxis waiting just up the street from the restaurant and told them taxi driver to take me home. I was really grateful to the photographer.

As I sat in the back of the taxi, watching the bright city lights zoom past us, hot tears ran down my face. Not only was Seunghyun angry with me because I had ignited rumours about Taeyang but I had jeopardised his job. I was fully prepared for him to cut me out of his life. It burned my insides thinking about it. I missed him. We were going to have so much fun. I contemplated texting him but I knew that would make him even angrier. I dug my fingernails into my thighs and looked forwards to getting even more drunk back at my apartment to try and forget this shitty evening. 

The taxi driver dropped me off outside my building and I dragged myself up the stairs to my apartment.

"About bloody time," he said as he was leaning up my front door, smoking a cigarette.

It was Seunghyun.

"Oh my god," I said as I ran up to him and flung my arms around his neck. Normally I wouldn't have been so forward with my display of affection towards him but I was so relieved that he was actually at my apartment. Plus I was quite drunk so my inhibitions were clouded. He reciprocated my affection and put his arms around my waist, squeezing me tight in the way that I was happily getting used to.

"I'm sorry," I said, crying into his shoulder.

"Let's go inside," he said as he spoke softly. I loved how he always took the lead and told me what to do. I pulled away, taking the keys out of my jacket pocket and unlocked the front door. Holding his hand, I led him inside, dropping the keys onto the table. In the heat of the tension, he grabbed my hips and pulled me closer to him so that our bodies were pushed together. I ran my hands through his hair and tugged gently causing him to moan softly. His lips were on mine, kissing softly and then hard thrusting his tongue into my mouth and gently caressing. Removing my hands from his hair, I ran them down his chest and began clumsily unbuttoning his shirt, exposing his body. I covered his body in soft angel kisses and he began saying my name. It sounded so good rolling from his lips. I began unbuttoning his trousers and yanked them down, taking his rock hard member into my hands. I felt him quiver as I began pumping up and down, starting slowly but gradually getting faster. He tilted his head back as if he couldn't handle it.

"Let's finish what we started earlier," he whispered to me as he pushed me back onto the sofa. The sight of him, trousers around his ankles, positioned above me ready to go turned me on so much. He hitched up my dress and slid my panties off carefully. Within a few seconds, he was on top of me and his hot breath was mingling with mine. As he entered me, I let out a sharp quiver: he was big and filled up every inch of my pussy. I was trembling for him and god he felt so good. Using his thumb and forefinger, he held my chin and forced me to look into his eyes.

"Don't you dare look away from me," he demanded. God he was so sexy.

He began to thrust slowly and deeply, his hips grinding with intensity. As I stared into his eyes I knew I was about to climax. I threw my head back and screamed his name.

"That's right, say my name," he called as began to play with my nipples sensuously.

I fell into the sofa and he turned me over, skimming his palms over my body pulling me closer and he pumped into me with determination. I could feel his hands reach under me and begin to play with my breasts, sending shivers into my womanhood. As he came, he pinched hard and I let out a yelp of pleasure.

As we collapsed into each others' arms on the sofa, a pile of breathless limbs, he peppered my body with butterfly kisses stroking my head gently. It was pure bliss.

"Are you ok, princess?' he asked me softly.

I could barely respond.

"You are amazing." It was all I could muster up. He had truly worn me out. He let out a deep laugh as he ran his hands down my side, causing me to flinch with sensitivity.

"I just want to stay here, with you," he said. I was taken aback, especially as he was such a dick to me earlier in the evening. My thoughts flashed suddenly to Youngbae – no, not now.

"Have you got work in the morning?" he asked me, rubbing my shoulders with his heavy hands.

"Oh shit, I forgot," I cringed as I realised I would have to go to work after having drunk my own body weight in shots.

"Let me take you to bed?" he asked with a polite grin. So he's fucked me and now he is asking to take me to bed! This guy....

Nodding to him in a sleepy haze, he stood up and pulled up his trousers, leaving his shirt off. He carried me, arms under my legs in a fireman's lift and placed me softly in the bed. He slid in next to me and wrapped the covers around us. I fell asleep instantly, inhaling the sweet smell of his scent. It was perfect bliss even though my head was spinning.

* * * 

When I woke up, head banging like a jack hammer drilling into the pavement, he was gone. He doesn't like to stick around does he? I smacked my alarm clock and sighed as I realised I had to go to work feeling like I had been run over by a truck. Putting on my work clothes was a massive chore and I nearly threw up multiple times when I was brushing my teeth: but nothing could dampen my spirits. I couldn't wait to see him again.

"Are you free later?" came a text from Seunghyun. I was so excited and I didn't even think of Youngbae once.


	16. Chapter 16

Jiyong was sat in the kitchen drinking his morning coffee. He sipped it carefully because it was hot. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Youngbae drag himself out of his bedroom and skulk towards the coffee machine.

"Heavy night?" he asked Youngbae, looking him up and down.

"You could say that," Youngbae replied as he began grinding the coffee beans.

"What happened after I left?"

Youngbae sighed as he clumsily knocked the coffee beans off the side, trying to tidy them up. He did not like to make a mess, especially as he knew that if Seunghyun saw, he would fly off the handle.

"Seungri kept making me take shots. My head really hurts."

"...and what else?" Jiyong pryed. He knew what Youngbae was about to say but he wanted to hear his version of events.

"Ji, you can't tell this to anyone else." Youngbae made Jiyong swear.

Jiyong noded, sipping his coffee, secretly crossing his fingers under the table.

"Gigi and I had a conversation. She said one of her friends is into me. I've been thinking about it all night."

"Oh really? Which one of her friends?"

"You know, her," he said, trying to speak quietly so no-one else heard.

Jiyong nearly spat his coffee out. He knew who Youngbae meant. 

"No, Bae, no. Are you aware of your bust up with Seunghyun at the club a few weeks back? You're seriously going down that road? No, Bae, just no."

"Why not?" Youngbae shrugged as he stirred his coffee. "It's not like he owns her. He is always running back to Ri-na anyway. He won't leave her alone. When was he there last? A few days ago?"

"No, he's not into her anymore. Is he?" Jiyong thought long and hard about what Youngbae had just told him. Really? He was there a few days ago?!

"Yes, I heard him calling her on the phone, arranging to meet up. He's disgusting at times."

Jiyong was puzzled. He was almost sure that Seunghyun wasn't speaking to Ri-na anymore.

"Bae, please," he pleaded with his friend. "Whatever feelings you have for this girl, you need to let them go. Don't mess up your friendship with Seunghyun, please."

"You tell that to him!" Youngbae protested. "He is the one who is messing things up for other people. He's built walls around himself and no one can get in anymore. He used to be so funny. Now he is just an asshole all of the time."

It hurt Youngbae to say those things about his friend but it was true. He thought long and hard about what Gigi had said. He thought about seeing the two of them guiltily come out of the cupboard at the tv studios. Youngbae didn't want to be messed around. After he had finished making his coffee, he took it back into his bedroom and thought very carefully about his next move.

As he was walking to his room, Youngbae bumped into Daesung, who looked as if he had seen a ghost.

"Dae, what's up? You look terrified."

"I've... Me and Seunghyun... we've got to go to YG," spluttered Daesung clearly distressed and worried.

"Maybe he has a project for you two? Don't be worried, Hyung. I'm sure it won't be bad." Youngbae lied. He knew that if YG called you and demanded to go into his office on a Sunday it was bad.

* * *

Daesung sat at the table, nervously twiddling his thumbs and tapping his foot. Seunghyun looked over at him and gave him a disapproving shake of his head.

"Don't piss him off with your fussing, Dae," he suggested trying to be reassuring but failing miserably.

"I just don't know why we are here. What did we do? I haven't missed rehearsals. I've done everything he's asked of me. Maybe it's because I'm learning the drums and it doesn't suit my cute-boy image?"

The door opened and in strode YG. He was one of the most powerful men in Korea and he owned that status. Wearing his usual jacket, jeans and grey cap, he sat down opposite the boys and took a deep breath. Daesung's heart was beating so fast he was worried he was going to pass out.

"I won't beat around the bush boys. You're both grown men and have been a part of this company for a long time. Why are you disobeying me?"

Seunghyun felt his face burning up. He liked to be professional and he felt immense shame at being told he had disobeyed the CEO. He was puzzled.

"First there was the incident at the apartment when Seungri and Jiyong were injured. You had girls round then. Now, I've got rumours circulating that you're both seeing girls in the restaurant last night. You've both been seen with women. Who are they? Are they hangers on? Groupies? Are you paying them?"

Seunghyun bit his tongue. He really didn't appreciate YG talking about her like that. It made his blood boil. However he couldn't argue back to his CEO: someone who had supported him through thick and thin, given him a chance when no-one else would.

"And don't get me started on the rumours that are flying out about you and Youngbae arguing over that another girl. It makes me so ANGRY!" he shouted, slamming his fist on the table. "I don't know who these girls are but you have an image to protect! Considering you can't protect yourselves, I am going to have to do it. Here is what is going to happen," he said, aggressively pointing his finger into the desk.

Daesung gulped in anticipation.

"You're both going to the movie premiere of Moon Jungkook's newest film tonight. You will both take dates that I have set up for you. They will be two trainees who I want to introduce to the media. This is to divert the attention off the scandal that heating up with those girls you were with. If I catch you with them again, the consequences will be serious. We need you to remain accessible to audiences and that cannot happen if you are attaching yourself to women. Do you understand?"

Daesung and Seunghyun both answered that they understood clearly. The knot in Daesung's stomach grew tighter and he wanted to burst into tears. Seunghyun just felt angry. Angry and controlled. He felt like a tiger in a cage. Maybe it was time for him to call this idol-thing quits and live his life how he wanted?

"I think it is time for you to move out of the apartment for a while, Seunghyun, and find your own place. We cannot risk there being any more incidents. You will find somewhere by the end of the month. Don't worry about rent, I will handle it. Find yourself somewhere to calm down. That will be all."

***

All five of them sat down in their living room, not saying a word. The tension in the air was undeniable and someone had to cut it.

"We'll get through this," said Jiyong. He thought that he should be the one to break the ice, considering he was the group's leader. "It's just a small change. I think it will do us good to have some space. We've been living under each others' feet for years, maybe we need space."

Youngbae couldn't help but scowl at Seunghyun. He felt betrayed, like he was breaking up his life's work, his passion. However, he knew that he needed to be the bigger person in the situation otherwise they'd never become friends like they were before.

"I'm sorry you have been asked to move, Seunghyun," Youngbae said twisting his hands anxiously in his lap trying to sound as civil as he could.

Seunghyun looked at Youngbae. It was the first time that they had spoken amicably in a few weeks. Even though he was furious at Youngbae for trying to take his date home, he knew he had to forgive him. He had to swallow his pride. After all, he was the one making moves on Ri-na: he wasn't exactly innocent.

"Thanks, Hyung. I appreciate your apology," Suenghyun replied.

Although the boys had spoken it was still forced. Youngbae would have to do a lot better than that if he wanted to make amends.

"What did YG say about the band?" Seungri asked with a concerned tone.

"Nothing," replied Daesung. "He expects us to continue as normal. I imagine we are still filming the music video next week and then the tour will go ahead as planned."

"Good," Seungri said as he looked at Jiyong. "I am really looking forwards to going to New York.... it's gonna be like Sex and the City."

No one replied.

"Or not..."

He tried to joke to break the ice but things were still tense from Seunghyun's news.

"I'm going to find some apartments. Daesung, I will see you later at the headquarters for the premier," Seunghyun uttered as he abruptly stood up. He didn't look any of the boys in the eye as he secretly knew he was the reason things were beginning to fall apart. He was going to try and be a better person. A new apartment would be a fresh start.

"Hyung? Wait up, I'll come with you," Jiyong called out.

Jiyong sprinted to catch up with Seunghyun, who had already walked out of the door. Seunghyun has decided he wasn't going to call a driver: he would drive himself. He didn't know who was watching him these days anyway. Were the drivers reporting back to YG? Jiyong followed him and they decided that they would go to Ban Yu-mi's coffee shop. Even though it seemed like a bad idea to be seen in public together, he had to tell her what had happened. No one knew she worked at the coffee shop. If anyone said anything, he was just talking to a waitress. Nothing wrong with that.

Jiyong was sympathic: Seunghyun had been supportive when his last hidden relationship had caused problems with the company. He remembered the nights spent upset and biting his nails as his world crumbled underneath him. As they got into Suenghyun's car in the underground parking garage, they began to discuss the past.

"Seunghyun, you are my best friend but so is Bae. It hurts to see you two fighting... but I understand why you're angry with him."

Seunghyun responded with a dismissive hum. He knew what Jiyong was getting at.

"Youngbae is hurting too. He has it in his head that you're just going to go back to Ri-na?"

Seunghyun's heart skipped a beat. Ri-na. He thought of the times they had spent together: eating ice-cream in the back of the tour bus driving to Busan; when she came to see them on the set of their videos; late night art-house films at her apartment. Fuck. He wasn't sure what his brain was doing, making him think of her. Here we go again. Snap out of it. She is poison.

"No... she's in the past," he quickly replied. Jiyong arched his eyebrows as he could tell Seunghyun had been thinking of Ri-na. Whilst driving to see his other girl.

Jiyong had always though of Seunghyun as a 'player'. Ever since their early days together, he always had a string of girls. It was the same with Seungri. Daesung and Youngbae were different. They weren't ones to give their hearts away easily. Which was probably why Jiyong was so concerned with the situation. He knew Seunghyun's ways. He often wondered if he should just side with Youngbae. In fact, he was ready to bet a billion that Seunghyun would be back in Ri-na's bed within a month.

"When I broke up with Ryo-lee, you were there for me. You helped me get over her. I was a broken man but I had to leave her. Who could stay with someone who sold intimate details of your private life to the press?"

"She was a bitch," Seunghyun chimed in, hands on the steering wheel as they drove towards Seorae Village. His face was blank.

"I wouldn't be that harsh."

"I would."

"Anyway, she hurt me. It was horrid. I don't want the same for you."

"I appreciate your concern, Ji-Hyung but she's out of my system. Why else are we driving to see Cheonsa?"

Seunghyun looked out of the window.

Jiyong looked out of the window.

As they drove into Seorae Village, neither of them were sure about the future anymore.


	17. Chapter 17

The coffee shop was relatively empty because it was a Sunday afternoon. As Jiyong and Seunghyun got out of the car, they both looked around nervously: it was a habit to check if there were any photographers or fans about to prance upon them. As much as they loved their lifestyle, they were never relaxed and constantly looked over their shoulders to check if they were being followed. Putting their sunglasses on, they walked over to the coffee shop.

Ban Yu-mi greeted them warmly as they walked in. They hadn't seen her for a few weeks and she reprimanded them.

"I was worried about you both. I've been reading stories in the papers about you, Seunghyun. I hope you are not back to your old ways?"

"You don't need to worry about me, Halmeoni," he replied as he took his sunglasses off.

"I do worry about you. Your mother worries about you, too."

"Aishhhh, she worries too much. I need to speak to Cheonsa, is she here?"

"Yes, she is fetching some stock from the cupboard. She will be out soon. You can have ten minutes with her but that is all! I've had enough of you coming and distracting her when she is working for me!"

"I'm sure Seunghyun is fine when she come...."

"Ahem," coughed Seunghyun as he tried to manoeuvre the conversation away from the smut Jiyong was about to bring. Ban Yu-mi looked flustered.

"Jiyong, are you doing ok? You're looking thin. Let me fetch you some cake."

The boys laughed at Ban Yu-mi fussing over them. She really did make them feel relaxed with her grandmotherly ways. They ordered their usual coffees and went to sit down at the table. Seunghyun bowed and said 'good afternoon' to Mr Rin, who was sketching away.

"Don't say anything, Ji."

"No, I'll leave it to you, lover-boy!" he cheekily said with a wink as he sat back in his chair.

Seunghyun felt nervous for once in his life. He was worried about telling her that YG was on to them. He was worried that she would be unhappy that he was having to go to a movie premier on the arms of another woman. Part of him was frightened his feelings for Ri-na would overtake him again. He shook the negative thoughts out of his head and waited for Ban Yu-mi to bring his coffee.

* * *

I had spent a great deal of my shift trying not to throw up. It was a Sunday afternoon and I was counting down the minutes until I could go home. My mind kept replaying the night before: dancing with Jiyong, dancing with Seunghyun, shots with Gigi, Gigi telling Youngbae about my 'feelings' for him... urgh! I kept pinching myself, trying to ignore my brain reminding me. Besides, I had a wonderful evening with Seunghyun.

As I walked back into the main shop after stacking away some stock in storage, I saw him. He was sat with Jiyong at the table, sipping his coffee and smoking a cigarette. It was as if the whole room melted away and it was just us. I was like a child on Christmas; so excited to see him. He turned his head and saw me coming over, smiling as if in slow motion. I was so pleased to see him after the amazing night we had spent together. I love it when you say my name. It sent shivers down my spine as I thought about his touch, his kisses, his naked body.

"Good afternoon, Cheonsa," he said as cooly, like nothing had ever happened between us.

"What are you doing here?" I said, trying to hide my school-girl excitement. I nodded to Jiyong to acknowledge his presence. He was looking handsome today, his blonde hair swept back exposing his porcelain features. Seunghyun didn't reply straight away, which sent alarm bells ringing. He looked at Jiyong and hesitated.

"Seunghyun, what's wrong?"

"I'll go and wait in the car, I shouldn't be here," said Jiyong quickly as he stood up from his chair.

"No, please, Jiyong. I need you to stay here incase someone is watching."

Watching. What the hell was going on?

"What do you mean, watching? What's happened?" I sat down on the chair next to them, puzzled.

"YG called me and Daesung into his office today. He knows that I am seeing someone. He knows about Dae and Sooyun, too."

I stopped. Oh no.

"He can't know about us," I frantically pleaded, tears welling up in my eyes. "I don't want to be deported!!!"

"Keep your voice down!" Jiyong hushed me as he put his hand on my shoulder.

"How does he know? Who has told him?"

"He has eyes everywhere, he controls the entertainment industry," Seunghyun said as he took a drag on his cigarette. "He has suggested I move out of the apartment and find somewhere of my own after the issues with Youngbae."

"Oh," I said, not quite understanding where the conversation was going. What did this have to do with me? Is he implying that I've broken up his band?

"He has told me that I have to go to a movie premier tonight... but I can't go by myself. I have to take one of the YG trainees with me as... as a date. The same for Daesung. To detract from the attention we've been getting in the press."

I didn't quite know what to say to him. How was I supposed to feel? Was I supposed to be all nochanlant about it, as if I wasn't bothered he was taking another woman to a film premier? Was I allowed to be jealous and upset? We weren't even official. Part of me was angry with him and the other half felt ridiculous that I was being possessive of someone I wasn't even in a relationship with.

"Say something," he said to me as he moved closer. He was very careful not to touch me or invade my personal space. I could tell he had his public persona switched on: he was a very different person out in the open compared to when we were alone. I almost felt sorry for Jiyong being sat there in the middle of this.

"That's fine." It was all I could think when replying. It wasn't fine.

"Fine? Is that all you can say?" He moves backwards in his chair. I could see Ban Yu-no was peering over, trying to see what the raised voices were for.

"Honestly, Seunghyun. What do you want me to say? There's not much to say? Do you want me to end things? To never see you again?" I spoke as if I were being punished.

There was an awkward silence.

"If that's how you feel about it then?" he said as he knocked back the rest of his coffee. "I guess I'll see you around?

"YG doesn't want you to get involved with me. This was all a mistake." I felt my heart drop and I was surprised I had said what I did. I didn't mean what I was saying. I think I said it because I wanted him to tell me that it wasn't a mistake. However in true Seunghyun style, he didn't. Of course; the Villain was back. He didn't reply straight away; he just looked out of the window and sighed all brooding and moody.

"If that's how you feel about it then," he repeated. I looked at Jiyong, almost begging him to say something to stop this petty conversation and make it all better.

"We've got to go, I have to get ready for this movie premiere." He pulled his coat from the back of his chair, smoothed it out and walked out of the shop, putting his sunglasses on. I looked at Jiyong as if I were about to cry.

"I'll talk to him," Jiyong reassured me. "I can't hug you, just incase, but be safe. I will keep in touch with you, just don't say anything to anyone."

As they both left, I stood there like a helpless, lost child. Ban You-mi came over to me and put her arm around my shoulder.

"Oh Cheonsa, what has happened?" she asked in her friendly way. I couldn't tell her. What if she told his Mom?

"I.. I just don't feel too good," I replied breaking down. I knew it wasn't the done thing in Korea to show emotions but I couldn't hold back.

"I think you would be better off at home, don't you?" she said with kind eyes.

"Thank you, I am really sorry."

After gathering my things, I made my way home. This was the second time in a row I had gone home in an emotional state because of him. Why was he so hot and cold all of the time? Where did I stand with him? Why couldn't we just have a normal relationship?

* * *  
"This is Woo Lauren, she will be accompanying you this evening," the manager told Seunghyun. She was a pretty girl with light brown hair with blue contact lenses in. Her almond shaped eyes were kind and she had a beautiful smile.

"I am pleased to meet you, Seunghyun-ssi," Lauren said as she bowed to him. Normally, he would be interested in such a pretty lady but tonight he really couldn't care less.

"It's good to meet you too, Lauren-ssi, I hope you have a pleasant evening tonight." Despite feeling hollow inside, he was determined to put on a show and be ever the charming gentleman he was known for in the press.

On the other side of the room, Daesung was introduced to his date, Kim Chung-Yeo. He looked just as glum as Seunghyun felt.

Their manager was watching them like a hawk watches prey. Both of the boys needed to at least pretend they were happy to be there. After all, the whole reason they were attending with Lauren and Chung-Yeo was to show the world they were the perfect gentlemen who weren't tied down to other women.

"Cheer up," the manager said as he placed his hand on Daesung's shoulder. He was almost sarcastic in his delivery and Seunghyun didn't like that at all. "You're on a date with a beautiful lady, the press are waiting for you! How could you be feeling so glum?!"

Daesung felt as if he were betraying Sooyun as he took a deep breath and took Chung-Yeo's hand in his.

"You look so handsome in your suit, Daesung-ssi," she complemented him, tilting her head as she smiled. Chung-Yeo didn't know that Daesung was seeing someone. She was actually overwhelmed that YG had asked her to accompany such a superstar to a film premier. This was her time to shine.

The YG staff ushered the couples from the dressing rooms and into the waiting cars. Both Seunghyun and Daesung made sure they waved to the waiting photographers, smiles bright and eyes wide. Seunghyun wondered if the photographers would capture how his soul really felt: he certainly didn't smile with his eyes. He made sure he had his arm around Lauren.

Lauren wondered if this was also her time to shine. As a YG trainee, she knew that relationships were forbidden but she wondered if a casual dalliances were allowed? In the car, she made sure that her hands didn't leave Seunghyun's body. She touched his arm every time she spoke and batted her long eyelashes at him when she giggled. Seunghyun thought she was being desperate. He had seen this before. No one was watching them in the car but he was careful to keep his voice down when he spoke just incase the driver would snitch to YG.

"Look, Lauren, I know this is very exciting for you to be my date but I'm not interested in anything tonight."

Lauren felt very taken aback. He's a bit confident isn't he?!

"I don't know what you're talking about, Oppa," she replied as she smiled.

Seunghyun wasn't pleased that she called him 'Oppa'. That was what Ri-na had called him. It made him feel even grumpier to be reminded of that poisonous snake.

"This is a work commitment. Please could we remain professional?" He was aware that she would probably spread rumours about him so he knew it was important to remain calm.

After that, the car journey was very awkward. Chung-Yeo was trying to engage Daesung in conversation but he was only giving her one word answers.

"You're suppose to be the funny, delightful one Daesung-ssi? Is there something wrong?"

"No, I just don't feel too good tonight."

He looked over at Seunghyun who was sending text messages on his phone.

The first message was to Jiyong: Hyung this is awful and awkward. What are you doing? Entertain me.

The second was to Youngbae: I hope we can still be friends.

The third was to her: Please don't be angry at me x

When they arrived at the film premier, the boys looked at each other and took a deep breath. They had to turn their public personas back on again with fake smiles and corny waves. On the red carpet, they answered interview questions and held onto their dates.

"T.O.P! What about the rumours that you are leaving the band due to a disagreement with Taeyang?" screamed one reporter. Luckily, their manager had briefed them on how to answer awkward questions.

"I'm not leaving Big Bang! There is no bad blood between Taeyang and I. I love him to infinity. I love him and I love our fans!" He replied, internally cringing at one of the cheesiest things he had ever said.

"Who is this lovely lady on your arm, T.O.P?" pried another reporter as he shoved a microphone in their faces.

"Ah, this is my lovely date for this evening, Woo Lauren-ssi, isn't she beautiful?! She is a trainee at YG Entertainment and her band will be accompanying Big Bang on our next tour!"

Lauren beamed with happiness because of how Seunghyun had spoken about her. No one had called her beautiful before. Even though he had point-blank told her there were to be no funny business, she didn't give up. In fact his words made her try harder. She giggled and stroked his arm when he spoke to reporters. This was what YG had asked me to do, I'm not breaking any rules.

Chung-Yeo was mimicking Lauren's actions: grabbing Daesung's hand, resting her head on his shoulder. She wasn't trying to be seductive, just cute and endearing. Like Lauren, YG had told her to act as if they were on a real date. The press loved it. Seunghyun and Daesung not so much.

The press loved it so much that the following day, it was all across the newspapers, plastered all over Instagram and covered in hundreds of YouTube vlogs. YG's plan had worked.

YG's BigBang and their new darlings!  
Woo Lauren is at the T.O.P of her game!


	18. Chapter 18

  
  
  
_YG's BigBang and their new darlings!_   
_Woo Lauren is at the T.O.P of her game!_

I scowled as I read the headlines. In fact, I did more than scowl: I felt physically sick. My brain was telling me that it was only for his job and to not worry but something was nagging inside. We weren't officially _anything_ but I felt so angry that he was in news with another woman. _Why couldn't it be me?_

I thought about Sooyun: she was the only person in the world who would understand what I was going through. Lying on my bed, cuddling close to my pillow, I dialled her phone number. When she picked up, I could tell that she was feeling the strain. She told me that even though she knew Daesung was faithful to her, it still hurt that he was giving attention to another woman. She tried to reassure me that Seunghyun would be feeling just as shitty as I was about the situation but I really couldn't process it. I had to hear it from him. We agreed that we would meet up for Kim Chi after her work _(for real this time)_ and discuss the situation in more depth. She was working with GirlClub on a photoshoot. I wondered if she was going to be talking to Gigi about the situation with Taeyang. _Ah, Youngbae._ I hadn't heard from him in a while and I hoped he was doing ok.

I looked at my phone which was lying in the covers after my phone call with Sooyun. I opened the text messages and read the last message he had sent me: _Please don't be angry at me x._

It was hard to be angry with him. We had got off to a bad start but I didn't want to cut him out of my life. Maybe we needed a fresh start? One without Ri-na, without Youngbae. I text him back.

_I'm not angry. I just want to talk about everything._

I bit my nails as I waited for his reply, wondering if he would reply at all.

_Last night was awful. I need cheering up._

What did he mean by that? I was desperate to see him. I was relieved to hear he hadn't exactly been living it up.

_Come over._

Just like that, all was forgiven. Within the hour, he showed up at my apartment, wine and food in hand. It was as if it were that night all over again. At first, it felt slightly awkward and he sat on the sofa away from me. Even though I had only known him for the span of a few months, I had picked up that he was not one to place his emotions on the table for all to see. He wasn't shy but he was hesitant. However despite his initial hesitation, he took control of the evening: he poured the wine, lit our cigarettes and gradually moved closer to me as the night wore on. Yes he had been a promiscuous but he was a gentleman.

"I will be honest with you, Cheonsa," he said as he put his hand on my thigh. "I don't want this to end, do you?"

"No, Seungyun, definitely not."

"So we need to be discreet. We need to make a plan so YG and everyone else at YGE don't realise what is going on. Now, we've got a lot of things coming up in Big Bang so we will need to be creative." He spoke almost formally.

"Why are we making a plan?" I asked him trying to be clueless. I just wanted to hear him say it.

"A plan for us, Cheonsa." It made my elbows tingle just hearing him say 'us'.

"Ah, right," I smiled back, resting my head on his shoulder smiling secretly to the ceiling.

"Next week, we have rehearsals for our music video. It will be a busy week but if you'd let me, I can come here afterwards? No one knows about this place do they?"

"Not anyone from YGE and certainly not YG," I replied.

"Good. We fly to New York next Tuesday for a week. We're recording our video and doing a show out there."

"Wow, New York? That's so far away," I said trying not to be worried at the thought of him being so halfway across the world .

"Don't sound too disheartened. It's not glamorous. We will probably spend most of our time in the hotel room or going out to eat. It's very different to being here in Korea."

"I will miss you." As I said it, I put my hand to my mouth as I definitely hadn't considered what the consequences of my words. _He is going to think I am even more of an idiot now._

"I will miss you too," he replied in a sensible tone as he kissed me. "Don't worry about a thing. I will take care of it all."

For the first time in this weird arrangement of ours, we sat on the sofa and stared out of the window. We didn't say anything to each other, comfortable just sipping our wine and smoking our cigarettes. He put on some records and we listened, soaking up each others' company. It felt nice to be in his company. He wasn't the type of person to tender and emotional but I could feel the warmth of his soul.

"Have you thought about where you are going to live?" I asked him as I rubbed my forefinger on his thigh affectionately. He shrugged his shoulders.

"I've seen a few places. I've arranged to look at one tomorrow and it's not far from here."

"That's convenient," I joked as I nudged his side, raising my eyebrows.

"It is conveniently placed... for work. Anyway, it's nothing special." He took a slug of his wine. "Did you want to come with me to see it?"

_Wow. Is he asking me to come apartment hunting with him?_

"Yes." I didn't even have time to consider the implications. I sat up and looked at him straight in the eyes. "I really would like to come."

"Good. I will give you the address and I will meet you there. We can't go together, just in case someone sees. I will let the agent know so she can let you in. It's 4pm tomorrow - are you working?"

_So many questions, Seunghyun._

"No, tomorrow I finish at midday" I paused. "Are you sure? Aren't we moving too fast?" I asked him as I looked out of the window. Part of me was worrying that he would just get sick of me. After all, he had access to whatever woman he wanted.

"You are being an idiot," he replied, ruffling my hair. "I would be honoured if you would come with me. I could do with your opinion anyway."

"Are you sure you don't want Ri-na's opinion?" I asked with a hint of jealously in my voice. I couldn't help asking, she still left a bitter taste in my mouth.

"Again you're being an idiot."

"Well you can't blame me for asking." I paused and stared into my wine glass, sloshing the liquid around. "Did you have a plan with _her?"_

He sighed and looked at me, sipping his wine.

"Do we have to talk about this?"

"Why not?"

As he rolled his eyes he spoke with an almost bitter tone in his voice.

"Yes. Yes we did. She worked for YGE so it was easier to hide our relationship. We conducted it in secret but YG was probably aware of it at the end. Did he say anything? No. Why? Because she ended it before he could. Is that sufficient enough for you Cheonsa?"

I frowned and wrinkled my nose.

"I'm sorry I asked! I was just curious."

"Gulleoon dori bakin dol ppaenaenda: the new replaces the old," he said as he put his arm around me and squeezed me tight. Despite the discussion about his ex, I now felt more relaxed.

We spent the evening talking about his experiences with his band and my experiences with my previous career. We were both driven people but yearned for homely comforts. He told me about his love for modern art and I argued with him that Preraphaelites were better. He tried to convince me that rap music was better than rock music. I pleaded with him that Kubric was a much better director than Lynch: he disagreed with everything that I said but that was the beauty in him. He was different and he was unique. No one made me feel how he made me feel. It didn't matter that he was famous in 193 countries, I didn't care about that. I only cared about the way he looked at me when I told him he was wrong. The way he half-smiled and tilted his head, telling me that I was naive and unspoiled. I asked him to stay the night: I longed to cuddle up to him in bed and wake up in his arms. He politely declined.

"I think it's best if we take things slowly. I don't want to go to fast." he replied as he held my hand.

 _Oh._ I was disappointed. _It's not like I haven't see you naked._ Nevertheless, I understood why he didn't want to stay.

"If you're sure?"

"I have to get back to the apartment. We have choreography for the music video and I need to be at YGE early with the boys."

"Seunghyun?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for your company tonight."

"Aiiiish, cheonsa. I had a great time." He took my hand. "Don't worry about the future. It will be alright."

And with that, he kissed me and grabbed his coat, leaving before the clock struck midnight. I went to my bedroom feeling as if this were all a dream. However, part of me was worried about this 'plan'. I had never been with someone who had an agenda. I wondered about the 'plan' when he was with Ri-na. _Surely someone would have noticed them?_ I tried to shrug off my anxiety but something just didn't sit right with me for some reason. What if his plan was so he could keep me from knowing he was still seeing Ri-na? _Stop over-thinking this. You're being stupid._

I decided to text Jiyong and ask for his advice. After all, he did say to text him if I ever needed to.

_Kwon Jiyong, I hope you are well? Sorry if it was awkward in the coffee shop yesterday. Please forgive Seunghyun for putting you in that position._

_Cheonsa, it is good to hear from you. I am sorry too. Have you made up? ^_^_

_Yes. We are taking things slowly._

_Good to hear it but be careful. I don't want either of you to get hurt. :'(_

It was nice that Jiyong was being so thoughtful. I was glad that I could talk to him. I smiled as I climbed into bed, looking forwards to the promise of tomorrow and apartment hunting with Seunghyun. It felt as if we were doing real relationship things. Even if this wasn't a real relationship.

* * *   
The following morning, the boys were at the YGE building about to practise their choreography. As usual, Seungri and Daesung were their happy selves, beaming with smiles and messing around together. Youngbae was also unusually happy this morning as he walked into the dance studio. Jiyong was quiet and had his head buried in his notebook as he was writing some poetry. Seunghyun was not the most alert in the morning. Walking into the studio with his cup of coffee, he winced at the bright lights. At this stage of his career, dancing was not his favourite part of performing: he preferred the actual rapping and interacting with the crowd. Still, he knew he had to remain profession _especially_ if he was going to be breaking the rules and seeing Cheonsa behind YG's back.

"Hyung, are you feeling ok?" Youngbae asked Jiyong as they both put their bags down on the floor. Jiyong rustled around inside his bag and put his poetry book away carefully.

"I'm fine, thank you. Just feeling a bit uneasy this morning. Are you ok Hyung?" Jiyong wasn't sure why he was feeling so uneasy. He just had that weird feeling in his gut.

Youngbae was actually feeling good for the first time in a few weeks. He had started going to the gym again and he was beginning to get _her_ out of his mind. He had struck up a friendship with Gigi and he wondered if that was going to go somewhere. It made him feel revitalised.

"Gigi?" Really? Are you sure about her?" Jiyong asked his friend. He was slightly concerned because he knew Gigi was immature. Youngbae was fragile and didn't give his heart away easily. Jiyong was concerned that Youngbae was being irrational: he was acting out of character.

"Honestly, Ji, it's fine. You don't need to get involved. I can look after myself."

The boys looked at each other both unsure of how to handle the conversation. It was lucky that Seungri came and interrupted them.

"Hyungs, I'm so excited to go to New York! I can't wait! This video shoot is going to be so fun! It's going to be like Sex and the City. Daesung is going to be Samantha..." Seungri put his hands around Jiyong and swung from his neck. Jiyong poked him in the side and laughed at his stupid remarks.

"Bro, it's not that exciting - you do realise we will probably be standing around for hours on end...."

"Oh Jiyong, let the boy dream. After all it's the only time he's going to be getting any sex in any city," quipped Seunghyun, raising his eyebrows sarcastically at his friend.

Seungri gasped at Seunghyun and released his grip from Jigong, running headfirst into Seunghyun, almost knocking his coffee to the floor!

"Get him!" shouted Seunghyun to the others.

Youngbae and Daesung looked at each other and ran, diving on top of Seungri. They all fell about laughing at each other. Even Jiyong laughed. It was the first time that they had laughed together in a while. The atmosphere was happy and relaxed. It felt like the old times. No one wanted it to change.


	19. Chapter 19

  
  
  
My shift at the coffee shop ended at midday. It had been busy and I was grateful because it took my mind off the upcoming meeting with Seunghyun at the prospective apartment. He had text me earlier on in the morning to give me the address, confirming the time to meet him. 4pm seemed a long way away but at least it gave me time to go home and make myself look presentable. I wanted to make myself look delicious for him. Almost good enough to eat.

I made sure that I was ready to leave my apartment in good time. I wore a black dress and a beige trench coat with black heels: sort of office-chic. _You look like you're going to a business meeting._ I checked my phone to see if anyone, more specifically Seunghyun, had text me. I had message from Sooyun asking me to call her when I got back. I also had a text message from one of my friends back in the UK asking if I could video call her later. I was about to put my phone into my handbag but as I locked the screen, I noticed the battery was at 5%. _Oh for God's sake._ There was no time to charge it now otherwise I would be late. I shrugged it off. Seunghyun and I had agreed where to meet and when so it wasn't like there would be any communication issues.

I caught the train at the station towards Hannam-dong and found my way onto the street where the apartment complex was. It was a _huge_ building and it looked very upmarket. There was a walkway towards the door and it had a long black carpet that was lined with beautifully shaped green bushes. This looked like an expensive place to live. I was glad that I had dressed in office-chic. I would have stood out like a sore thumb if I'd have worn jeans and my leather jacket.

I approached the concierge at the front desk. This was going to be awkward. _I don't speak fluent Korean so how is he going to know that I am about to attend an apartment viewing?_

"Annyeonghaseyo," I said. _At least I know how to say good afternoon. "_ Apartment 8? Choi Seunghyun?"

He looked at me, puzzled with what I was trying to say.

"I'm sorry, I am English. I am here for the apartment viewing at Apartment 8 with Han Ji-won?"

"Ah, I see!" he replied in perfect English. "Yes, please, use the elevator on the right up to Floor 8. Please ring the bell and Han Ji-won will greet you."

 _Ah, wonderful!_ I felt confident and strode into the the elevator, checking my appearance in its mirrors as I pressed the button for Floor 8. I had to make sure I looked good for him. As the elevator doors opened at my destination, I stepped out and looked at the one door in front of me. _Did the apartment take up the whole damn floor?_

On the left of the big, black front door there was a brass '8' and a brass bell underneath it. I rang and waited patiently for it to be opened. After waiting at least a minute (which seemed like a long time) a neat, young woman, who I presumed was the Real Estate Agent Han Ji-won, answered the door.

"Annyeonghaseyo!" she chimed in a high pitched voice. She bowed to me and I bowed back. As she opened the door, she held out her hand to usher me in. I stood there in the hallway soaking in the atmosphere. It was huge and everything was decorated in white. From the hallway, I could see another hallway leading to the master bedroom and a door leading to the enormous living room. Despite it being 4pm, bright sunlight was steaming in from the windows which spanned from the ceiling to the floor. I just about saw Seunghyun as he leaned into the doorway. His face was white and he looked as if he had seen a ghost. His eyes were wide as he stared at me and then flashed a look towards the person with him. As soon as I saw the peaked hat, I knew who it was.

_Oh holy fuck. It was Yang Hyun-Suk. YG. The CEO. The man couldn't know about us. He was here._ _He was actually in the viewing with Seunghyun. Fuck._

I looked at Seunghyun, terrified, and then looked back at Han Ji-won. She seemed very confused as I gawped at her and then back to Seunghyun. There was no time to leave through the front door because I could hear YG's voice draw closer, meaning he was on his way to see who was at the door. Without even saying anything, the only thing I could do was bolt left into one the room off the hallway and hide. The room was a bedroom with a gorgeous chandelier hanging from its centre. At the back of the room was a walk-in wardrobe. I hid in it. _Oh my god what do I do?_

I could hear Seunghyun talking to YG and Han Ji-won. He was speaking to them in English, and quite loudly, presumably so I could hear what was happening.

"It was the concierge, Sajangnim," Seyunghyun said in a panicked voice, trying to sound plausible.

There was a reply in Korean.

"I just feel like speaking in English, that's all. Practising for when we are in New York next week."

"Fine. You're acting strange though, Seung-Hyun-ssi. What is the problem?" said the other male voice. It was definitely YG.

"Nothing at all. I love the place. I'll take it. Let's go." He was trying to rush things.

"No! We've not seen the whole apartment. Let's look at the bedroom before we decide, Seung-Hyun. If I am spending this much on rent for you, I want to see where you will be sleeping."

"I am sure it is nice enough. Please, let's leave," he was almost begging. "I'm excited to finalise the deal. I love the place. Would that be ok Han Ji-won?"

There was a pause. I could hear the voices getting closer and I began to panic. _What if YG opened the walk-in closet doors to find me standing there. It would be game over for sure._ He would be super pissed to see Seunghyun's unofficial girlfriend stood in the fancy apartment he was paying for. I knew I had to make a run for the exit.

The voices continued in English and they were coming into the bedroom I was in.

"Here is the master bedroom with amazing views of the Han River."

"Ah, look at it Seunghyun! It's beautiful. Imagine waking yourself up here every morning and coming to rehearsals. I can imagine you would be as happy as a flower every day with this view."

"It's great," came Seunghyun's strained reply. "Let's go back to the living area. I... I love the views?" I could tell he was desperately trying to persuade them to leave.

"Ah but look there is so much space in here. What's this door for?" I could hear YG's voice getting closer to the closet I was hiding in. _Please, please don't come in here!_

"This is the walk in closet," Han Ji-won replied. I could tell from the wobbles in her voice that she wondered where I had gone. "Choi Seunghyun-ssi, where is the young lad..." she began.

"Great!" interrupted Seunghyun, trying to change the subject. "That's good but I don't need to look in there. A closet is a closet," Seunghyun said. There was a faint whimper in his voice. _He must know I'm hiding in here, this is the only place in the bloody apartment I could be hiding._

"I want to look," came the demanding voice of YG. I heard the gentle twist of the doorknob as someone began to open the door. All of a sudden, I heard a _SMASH!_ and some raised voices in Korean.

"AISH! It's smashed! Seunghyun!"

"Oh no, I didn't see that vase there. I am so sorry Han Ji-won. Here, let's take it into the kitchen. I am so sorry. I will put it in the sink," Seunghyun said in forced tones. _Had he smashed a vase as a distraction?! The thought of neat-freak Seunghyun breaking something made me giggle. I had to cover my mouth quickly to stop sound escaping._

I heard their voices gently get quieter as they left the room. This was it. I knew I needed to make my escape. I tentatively opened the door to the wardrobe and snuck out, treading very carefully ensuring I didn't make any noise. I glued myself to the walls and sucked my stomach in: I really didn't want to be seen. As I edged along the elegant, white walls of the apartment, I peeked into the hallway. It was safe. They had moved back into the living room. I made a dash for the front door and the elevator. I rammed my finger into the button, pressing it furiously in hopes that I would be out of the elevator before anyone saw me. Luckily, it came quickly and I hid inside, furiously pressing the button for the ground floor. As the golden doors of the elevator shut, I collapsed down the side of the walls. My heart was beating so fast. I couldn't believe what had happened. Desperately reaching my hand into my bag, I pulled out my phone: it was dead, there was no battery. _He is going to kill me._

Unsure of what to do, I got out of the elevator and thanked the concierge, careful to show no signs of worry on my face. I headed out to the street and saw there was a 7-Eleven at the end of the road. Walking with a fast paced, I went into the shop and searched frantically for a phone charger. When I found one, I went to counter and paid for it, making sure I bought myself a new pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Upon exiting the shop, I lit a cigarette and tried to find the nearest Starbucks where I could charge my phone. I inhaled the smoke of the cigarette, each drag calming me down. Eventually, after twenty minutes, I found a Starbucks and went in. I ordered a large Caramel Creme Frappuccino, taking it with me to a table next to a plug socket. I stuffed the charger into the socket and impatiently waited for my phone to turn on so I could text Seunghyun.

_14 NEW MESSAGES._

Internally, I was screaming. All 14 messages were from Seunghyun warning me not to come to the apartment viewing because YG was going to be there. _How could I not have seen them?! Why did my phone have to die?!_

The last message was not a pleasant one.

_Idiot! Phone me immediately._

I clumsily searched for his name in my contacts and pressed call.

"Hello?"

"AISHHHHHH!!!" I could hear the stress in his voice.

"My phone ran out of battery! I didn't see your messages. I am _so sorry,_ Seunghyun. Did he see?"

"No. Thankfully." I heard him sigh. "You are going to be the death of me."

I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I was so grateful that YG hadn't seen me.

"I am so sorry! I can't believe that even happened!"

He didn't say anything. 

"Please don't be mad at me, Jagiya," I cooed at him.

"Pardon?" he replied, shock in his voice.

_I shouldn't have called him that. It was inappropriate... but I did think of him as my honey._

"Erm... I mean, it was a nice apartment, I can really see you living there. I'd be quite happy staying the night," I laughed trying to make light of the situation. Although I wasn't lying to him, I would have been more than pleased to stay the night in that beautiful place.

"Me too. It was very nice. YG said I can move in at the end of the week, just before we go to New York. I might even consider inviting you over to see the rest of the apartment. You know, considering you've already seen the bedroom," he purred with the sexy voice of his.

I laughed.

"Surely you save the bedroom for last?"

"Not in your case, Cheonsa."

"Can I see you tonight?" I asked him, not hesitating. After the drama of the day, I just wanted to relax with him and a glass of something alcoholic.

"Hmmm," he replied. "I will be over at 7pm with dinner and wine. I hope you're hungry," he said with a hint of something in his voice.

"Oh, yes," I replied. "I am _starving."_

 _"_ Good. Be safe and don't get into any more trouble."

He put the phone down and a big smile washed across my face as I finished my Frappuccino and headed to the train station.

* * *

When he knocked on the door, I sprang out of my seat and greeted him, my hands around his neck and his hands around my waist. He playfully smacked my behind with the wine bottle he was carrying as I broke the kiss and invited him inside. We spent the evening sitting on the sofa and talking, occasionally laughing about the ridiculous situation with YG in his apartment.

I was desperate for him to instigate something. We had already slept together, so what was the problem? I wondered if he was being deadly serious about taking things slow. 

"You know, when you're in New York, I will miss you," I said to him as I stroked his face gently. "The thought of you being thousands of miles away makes me sad."

"Why does it make you sad? You've lived without me for the majority of your life, another week isn't that bad is it?"

"I will just miss you," I replied. _Did he not understand the concept of wanting to be with someone you cared about?_

"Come with me," he suddenly said in his matter-of-fact way.

_Excuse me?_

"Come with you? To New York?"

"You wouldn't be able to travel with us, as no one can know about us. I will pay for your flights, your hotel. Usually, when we film music videos, we are busy in the day so no one wants to do anything in the evening. I'd be happy to come back to you at the hotel."

A smile began to creep from the corner of my lips. 

"Actually, I'm not asking you, Cheonsa, I'm telling you. You're coming to New York with us and staying in the same hotel. Get your laptop, let's book it," he said as he put his arm around me and squeezed me tight. I couldn't believe he was concocting such a scheme but it seemed like the best thing that could have happened in that moment. Without even thinking, I kissed him. His hands were around my neck and I climbed on top of him, straddling him, making sure I rubbed up against his cock. I could feel him beginning to get hard under the pressure. 

"Ah, ah, ah," he whispered in his deep tones, "we're taking this slowly." He gently peppered kissed against my neck. 

"Fine," I sulked as I climbed off, reaching under the table to grab my laptop. 

He went over to his coat and grabbed his wallet, taking out his credit card. Without even considering any implications, we booked me a ticket on the same flight from Seoul to New York and a room in the same hotel. It was going to be an exciting few weeks with this man.


	20. Chapter 20

I had spent the night with him in his new apartment, waking up in his large bed looking out onto the city below. Rubbinag the sleep from my eyes, I noticed he was already up and making coffee in the new kitchen. As I creeped out of the bed and into the bathroom, I made sure that I had brushed my teeth, washed my face and put some 'minimal' makeup on. _He was not going to see me without makeup just yet._ After I made sure that I had perfected the 'just-woken-up-cute' look, I riffled through his wardrobe and found a shirt of his. I put it on and it fit perfectly: it was big and baggy enough to just about cover my bum but left a lot of leg on show. _Who said mornings couldn't be sexy?_

I strolled out of the bedroom and into the living room/kitchen, pretending to yawn as I approached him. He was already dressed, wearing a shirt with his top button un-done, exposing his chest.

"Good morning, princess," he said as he looked up from the newspaper he was reading.

"Ja-gi-ya," I said as a smiled provocatively at him.

"Come here," he beckoned me over to him. I embraced him and he kissed the top of my head.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked me as he rubbed my back with his hand. I could hear his watch clink as he caressed me.

"Yes, I did thank you. Did you? Was it weird to sleep in your new apartment away from the boys?"

"It wasn't weird with you," he replied as he leaned over to add the milk to the coffee. He held out his hand to imply that I should sit down at the kitchen table with him.

"What is with you?! You're being very mushy!" I joked with him.

"Nothing," he said as he sat down too and sipped his coffee. "I just enjoy spending time with you."

In the back of my mind, I couldn't help but wonder if he was like this with Ri-na.

"Are you still sure about New York?" I questioned him.

"I'm about as sure as can be. Do you not want to come with me?"

"It's the one thing I am looking forwards to," I replied, smiling at him. I looked into his eyes and felt something special: something that I had never felt before. He took my hand in his.

"Good. Remember it has to be kept a secret. No telling anyone."

I bit my lip and looked away from his gaze. _Whoops. I had told Sooyun._ He looked at me with suspicious eyes.

"You've told Sooyun, haven't you?!"

"No," I lied to him. It wasn't a horrid lie, just a little white lie. I wanted to surprised him on the set of the music video. It would be fun to watch him squirm as he wouldn't be able to do anything about me being there. We could have fun pretending we didn't know each other.

"Don't tell anyone," he said firmly as he squeezed my hand.

"I won't. Anyway, I have work in an hour so if you would excuse me, I need to get ready."

"Oh really?" he said as he grabbed me closer and kissed me. I could taste the coffee on his breath. He was fantastic. I couldn't believe this was really happening.

"Seunghyun!" I protested as he scooped me up in his arms. I had never felt so protected. "I have to get ready!"

"Yes, I know. I'm helping you," he replied as he began unbuttoning the shirt I was wearing. He began softly kissing my neck, his fingers gently skimming my sides and heading dangerously close to forbidden areas.

"No!" I squealed with delight. "I have to go to work! Leave me be!" Obviously, I didn't want him to stop. He carried on kissing me and pulled me back to him as I tried to escape from his grasp. He was a strong man and I loved it. As much as I wanted him again, I knew I had to get ready for work. I couldn't be late, especially if I needed to beg Ban Yu-mi for a week off work at such late notice.

"I need to ask Ban Yu-mi for the time off work! What am I going to say to her?" I said with a concerned tone in my voice as I escaped his clutches. "Surely, I can tell her?"

"No," he quickly replied.

"Why not?"

He followed me into the bedroom and stood in the doorway as I began gathering my things from the bag I had brought with me.

"Ban Yu-mi is friends with my mother. If you tell her that you are going to New York with me, she will only speak to her about it."

I turned around and stared at him, raising my eyebrows.

"Why is that such a crime if your mother knows? Is she going to go running to the press?!" I almost joked with him because I thought it was such an absurd thing to say. He didn't reply and just stood there in the doorway, looking incredibly handsome.

"Hello?" I said to him, holding my hands out and expecting an answer. "Why is it a problem if your mother finds out?"

"Aishhh," he said, putting his head in his hands. "It's complicated."

"Complicated? How? Is she going to be coming to New York too? Do we need to book her a room or she going to share with me?" I wasn't sure he appreciated my sarcastic tone. I carried on getting myself ready for work, pulling off my clothes and changing into the work ones that I had brought with me. I heard him suck the air through his teeth as if watching me undress were turning him on. I moved into the bathroom, refusing to engage with him because he hadn't answered me.

"Look, I don't want to get into this too much but things are very formal in Korea."

"Yes? And? What is your point Seunghyun?"

There it was again: a pause from him. I began brushing my hair, staring at him in the mirror, waiting for an answer. I could see him, still in the doorway.

"You are a foreigner, Cheonsa, and she might not understand the situation."

 _She_ _might not understand? I didn't understand._ I didn't reply to him and averted my gaze from him in the mirror, looking down to smooth my outfit and apply some more makeup.

"Don't be like that," he said as he walked over and stood behind me, putting his arms around my waist. He softly kissed my cheek.

"I don't want her to find out about us from someone else, ok?"

_Hmmmm._

"Fine," I replied as I swivelled around in his arms to face him. "But what should I say?"

"Tell her that you need to go back to London urgently, family business."

"I'm not from London! You're just as bad as Jiyong!" I retorted as I buried my head in his chest, laughing. I felt guilty about lying to Ban Yu-mi, someone who had been nothing but kind to me but I knew that I had to protect the one thing that meant the most to me: my relationship with Seungyun.

As I left his apartment and took the train to Seorae Village, I wondered what the future would hold for us. Was he ashamed of me because I wasn't Korean?

"Good morning, Cheonsa!" chimed Ban Yu-mi as I opened the door to the coffee shop.

"Annyeong!" I replied to her, smiling as I went and hung my coat up, grabbing my work apron. I went behind the counter to get the cleaning items so I could clean the tables before the customers came in.

"You look very happy this morning?" Ban Yu-mi said, almost as if she was trying to ask for the reason why.

"Oh, no reason, I just slept nicely." I tried to sound as genuine as possible but I wondered how far she would believe me.

"You know he is a very nice boy. I have known him since before he was famous."

I turned and looked at her, raising my eyebrows so that she would think I didn't know who she was talking about.

"Pardon?" I asked her.

"You know who I mean, don't think I can't see the way he looks at you when he comes in. I know there is something there," she replied with a mischievous smile on her face. _Oh no, here we go._

"I don't know who you are talking about, sunbae."

"There is something going on between you and Seunghyun: I know this. Don't be shy about it, he is a very handsome young man."

I can't say I was shocked that Ban Yu-mi had figured it out. However I was worried that she could read the signs even though thought there were no signs to read. How would other people react if they saw us together?

"Oh Ban Yu-mi. You can't tell anyone, it needs to be kept a secret," I pleaded with her as I stopped cleaning and looked her in the face. "Please, don't tell _anyone._ "

"I won't tell a soul," she said as she put her hand on my shoulder in a reassuring manner.

"Not even his mother?" I asked, looking up at her with puppy-dog eyes.

"That's not up to me."

"Good," I replied, turning to face her front on, "because I need to ask you a _huge_ favour?"

She looked at me with a sideways glance. She could tell what was coming.

"Go on..."

"He wants me to go to New York with him next week. Please, please, _please_ can I have the time off work? Please?" I begged her. _She has no choice but to agree to me now._

She didn't answer me at first as she turned and looked out of the window, sighing. It was still early in the morning and there were no customers yet. I wasn't sure if she was annoyed that I had asked for such a big favour from her.

"Yes," she replied hesitantly. "If that is what your heart desires, but only because you haven't had any holiday since you started here." I could tell she was trying to be professional about it all. "There is one condition though: when you get back you must tell me all about it!"

In all honesty, I was surprised with how understanding she had been. She hadn't even thought about turning me down. She was the best boss I had ever had. Part of me wondered if he had something to do with this. Had he spoken to her beforehand?

"Oh thank you! Thank you! Gamsahamnida!" I burst into laughter, bowing at her profusely. It was quite unnecessary really.

"Just behave yourself," she said to me as I embraced her. "I know he will take care of you."

"Please don't tell his mother, sunbae," I asked her. The door bell to the shop chimed and the first customer of the day walked in. That was the end of the conversation: it was left unfinished. I wondered if she would tell Seuynghyun's mother about me. _How bad could that actually be?_

I carried on with the rest of my shift at the coffee shop, serving the customers and tidying up. I occasionally would think about my upcoming trip to New York with him and it would make me feel all dizzy like a school girl.

As soon as my shift finished, I had a text from Sooyun.

_Come to the Snowfox Cafe at 5pm for dinner xxo_

I caught the train to Seolleung Station and clumsily found my way to the hotel. I still had my work clothes on so I felt out of place in such an affluent hotel. A couple of the patrons of the hotel looked at me. In the distance of the bar, I saw Sooyun sitting with Daesung and Seunghyun. Seeing him made me weak at the knees, my heart flooded with desire for him. The Maitre D' came up to me and spoke to me in Korean.

"I'm sorry, I don't speak Korean well," I said looking confused.

"Excuse me, miss, can I help you?" he said in a snooty manner, looking me up and down.

"Yes, I'm just here to meet my friends," I replied pointing to the group in the corner.

The Maitre D' didn't even turn around as he continued to stare at me like I didn't belong there. Seunghyun came up to him, looking suave in his suit.

"Is there a problem here?" he asked the Maitre D'. The man bowed to Seunghyun: he knew who he was.

"Sir, no, sir," he bashfully said. "I am sorry, sir, miss. Please accept my _deepest_ apologies."

"This is my girlfriend and she is coming to join us for dinner. Please bring us more wine," Seunghyun said with his deep, mahogany tones. _His girlfriend?!_

I didn't say anything and as Seunghyun put his arm around me and led me to the table, I had the most smug look on my face. I looked like the cat who had got the cream. We sat down at the table and I greeted both Sooyun and Daesung.

"Your girlfriend?" I whispered to him as he sat down next to me.

"Yes. Don't you like it?" he asked me, doing the seductive smile that I was becoming accustomed to.

"I love it," I said, tucking myself under the table.

"Good. Get used to it, Cheonsa."


	21. Chapter 21

Our flight from Incheon to JFK was 14 hours long. Even though we were on the same flight, I went through security by myself, waited in the departure lounge myself and boarded the plane by myself. It was quite a scary experience to fly by myself considering, when I had arrived in South Korea, I came with colleagues in the teaching agency. Seunghyun kept in contact via text messages but I didn't see him at all in the airport. I guessed that they were living it up in the First Class Section whereas I was in economy. The First Class section is so small that it would have been ridiculous to have booked in there with him: everyone would have seen me and our plan to secretly be together would be scuppered. Sooyun and the team of stylists were all booked into Business Class so I didn't even have the opportunity to sit with them either. It was all quite strange being miles in the air with your friends but not being able to see them.

_Are you settled in your seat?_

He text me as we boarded the plane. It made me feel so frustrated to know that he was on the same plane for me for 14 hours yet I couldn't see him. I wouldn't even be allowed in Business Class, let alone in First Class. The next 14 hours were going to be boring and slow. I was a nervous flyer at the best of times and I could really have done with him to hold my hand during take off.

For the first few hours, I tried to sleep but I couldn't. I watched a few films and TV shows until dinner was served.

"Excuse me, Miss?" enquired one of the Flight Attendants. I looked up at her with sleepy eyes. "There is a request for you to join a passenger in First Class. Please could you come with me?"

_Finally._

I frantically gathered my belongings into my cabin bag, which was stuffed precariously under my chair, and followed the Flight Attendant down the aisle. The plane was huge and we came to a set of stairs. _I didn't know planes had stairs._

"Just this way, madame," she said as she ushered for me to go up the stairs. I wondered what I would see when I got to the top. Would it be a fancy palace with golden thrones and champagne fountains?

It was literally just a few rows of chairs but they were more like pods. Everything looked so futuristic because there were huge screens in each pod. I felt like I was walking onto the set of a movie, it was all so strange.

"Just this way please," another attendant said as she took me to the back of the First Class area. As I walked through, I clocked Seungri watching something on the screen and Jiyong, who was listening to music with his eyes closed. Neither of them saw me. Everyone was wrapped up in their own worlds to notice little old me strolling down the aisle of First Class.

Then I saw him and my heart skipped a beat. There was no one in the pod next to him and the Flight Attendant offered me the seat. She bowed to me and said that I could stay there for the rest of the flight but I wasn't really listening to her, I was too busy getting lost in Seunghyun's eyes.

"Say something," he said to me as I sat down and stared at him. "Aren't you pleased?"

"Of course I am pleased! You idiot!" I said to him quietly as I resisted jumping on him. I bent down and got closer to him, making sure my voice was lowered. "Is this not breaking the rules? Where is your management? What if they see?"

He pointed over to them, fast asleep in their pods.

"They're sleeping. Anyway, they won't come back into this section. If they do, put my sunglasses on and pretend you're a regular passenger. They won't know the difference."

I smiled at him because I loved the way he had made a special plan just for me. He was definitely climbing up the ranks of the 'good boyfriend list'.

"No touching though," he reminded me as he winked.

I scrunched my nose and stuck my tongue out at him.

"That's not fair. You're just teasing me now."

"Just you wait until we are at the hotel," he whispered as he squeezed my thigh quickly, looking round to see if anyone was watching. I could feel the tension rising in my stomach. He was good at this game.

"Do you want to watch this film with me?" he asked.

"Fine, anything to pass the time," I said. The cabin lights were set to low because it was evening. The Flight Attendants brought round glasses of champagne, which led to me getting rather tipsy. _Nothing unusual there then._ The film was interesting but I couldn't concentrate on it, especially when he was sat right next to me. Every inch of my being wanted to cuddle up close to him, to be enveloped in his big arms.

No one ventured to this part of the plane. After half an hour of watching the film, I felt his fingers creep slowly into mine and we sat, holding hands for the rest of the duration. I was dying to reach over and kiss his soft lips. He was all mine. Towards the end of the film, I felt myself getting sleeping. He pulled my hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly. I looked at him in the eyes and we both smiled. This wasn't just infatuation anymore. I wasn't sure what it was but I liked it.

"SEUNGHYUN!" came the shocked voice of Jiyong as I jumped up, rudely awoken from my slumber. We must have accidentally fallen asleep, still holding hands, when Jiyong woke us. He was towering over us, holding a glass of Champagne.

"What are _you_ doing here, Cheonsa?!" he whispered at me, his eyes wide in shock. I stared at him with a blank expression, not sure what to say. Part of me was quite glad we had been rumbled by Jiyong and not someone from management. Seunghyun snatched his hand away from mine, leaving me feeling slightly disgruntled: I was nice and comfortable before being disturbed. He brushed his trousers down and cleared his throat.

"It's fine, Jiyong. Just don't raise your voice and draw attention."

"How? How did? Why?" He squinted his eyes at us. "Was this _planned?"_

I looked at Seunghyun guiltily.

"Sort of," I shrugged.

"The shock!" Jiyong laughed as he pretended to grab his chest.

"Shhh! Keep your voice down, Jiyong," Seunghyun protested as he lunged forwards to put his hand over Jiyong's mouth.

"You are treading on thin ice here, Hyung!"

'Nothing is going to happen because no one is going to find out." He had such a serious way of saying things. It was such a contrast to listen to Jiyong, who was animated and warm, and Seunghyun, who was now starting to come across as quite frosty towards his friend.

"Find out what?!" laughed Seungri as he popped his head around the seat where Jiyong was. "Oh my, you sneaky snake, Hyung."

"Don't you even dare say anything," Seunghyun warned Seungi as he pointed his finger at him.

I was starting to wonder if this was drawing too much attention to us.

"Boys," I began as I sat up in my chair trying to be serious, "it was nice to see you all but I really think I should go back to my seat." Things were beginning to get out of hand.

Seunghyun held me back down, putting his hand on my shoulder as I tried to get up.

"It's fine, honestly. Isn't it hyungs? They're going back to their seats, aren't they?" he gave death stares to both of his bandmates. Jiyong and Seungri looked at each other, rolled their eyes and both left. I looked at Seunghyun, panic spreading across my face.

"Look, I am going back to my seat. There's less than an hour left on the flight before we land. We can't risk being seen."

He sighed at me. For someone who was so keen to keep this relationship a secret, he was being quite extra about it all. That was the mystery of Seunghyun: one moment he could be smotheringly passionate and the next he could be nonchalant.

"Fine. There will be a driver waiting for you at the airport with your name. Get to the hotel and wait for me. I will call you when I am free, ok?"

I nodded to him and he pulled me in, kissing me quickly and hard. It was ecstasy as I tasted the desperation on his lips. I wanted him so much. Standing up, I steadied myself, as the four glasses of champagne hadn't helped my balance. Reluctantly, I let go of his hand and headed off down to the middle of First Class, near the stairs and preparing to go back to my seat. As I got up to move, there was awful turbulence and the plane rocked forwards and backwards. Between the turbulence and the champagne, I lost my balance and went flying into the seat next to the stairs. I had landed in the lap of one of the passengers, fumbling madly for the armrest so I could pull myself up. Instead, I managed to claw at his leg, dangerously close to his crotch. I looked up as I scrambled to stand and instantly my heart sank as I heard his voice.

"Oh, gosh, I am _so_ sorry," I anxiously said to Youngbae, locking eyes with him. I can't describe how I felt in that moment but I knew I needed to escape.

"Ch.. Cheonsa?" I bolted upright as he called me, cautiously trying to help me up. I shook his hands off me, terrified that someone would see. Terrified that Seunghyun would see.

"I'm sorry, I'm _so_ sorry. I have to leave," I scrambled as I tried to fight the turbulence.

I didn't look back at him and went to head down the stairs despite the fact the seatbelt sign had come on.

 _"_ Excuse me, miss, you will need to sit down and fasten your seatbelt," said the Flight Attendant as she came over. Youngbae continued to stare at me and I locked eyes with him. It was the most awkward moment of my life. _Great, now they all know I am here plus I am making a scene by falling into his lap._

At that moment, Seunghyun came over to me and helped me up, oblivious to the fact people were beginning to stare. Luckily, the only people who were looking at us were strangers and the other boys: the managers were still fast asleep. I could feel everyone judging me. Seunghyun gave Youngbae a critical look as we walked back to the seats.

"Stay here until the seatbelt sign goes off, then you _have_ to leave," Seunghyun said as he took my hand in his. He seemed agitated as if the incident with Youngbae had spooked him. "You are so clumsy." He rolled his eyes at me. As I peered around into the aisle, I saw Youngbae looking back at me, his sympathetic eyes speaking, almost saying something. However, as much as I tried, I couldn't translate what he was saying. I quickly turned and looked at Seunghyun.

"It's a good job you are as beautiful as you are clumsy," Seunghyun said to me as he squeezed my hand.

After a few minutes, the seatbelt sign was taken off and I quietly slipped out of First Class, not looking back to Youngbae. As I sat in my economy seat, I wondered what other things would possibly go wrong on this magical trip to New York. Surely, the bad things were out of the way now and everything would be plain sailing? _How wrong was I to think that....?_


	22. Chapter 22

The landing was bumpy and as I looked out of the window onto the runway at JFK, I noticed it was raining. Droplets of water rushed sideways down the window of the plane. It was dark, the deep blue sky littered with twinkling stars and wispy grey clouds. It took an eternity to get through passport checks and obviously my baggage was one of the last to appear on the carousel. After 14 hours flying, I was feeling exhausted and all I wanted to do was collapse into a cosy bed.

It was an effort to lug my suitcase into arrivals. Nervously, I looked around for someone holding a sign with my name on. I couldn't see anyone. Annoyed, I dragged my suitcase around the arrivals hall for a good half an hour before giving up. Seunghyun said there would be someone with my name. He had organised it. I decided to call him but it kept going to answer phone. _Great._

I stood in the long line for a taxi, listening to the hustle of the passengers, the roll of the suitcase wheels on the pavement and the honking of car horns. The rain splashed down and it was cold. I regretted not bringing a coat with me. I looked at my phone to see if I had any messages of Seunghyun or even Sooyun: nothing.

Finally, after waiting another half an hour for a taxi, I managed to get into one, telling the driver which hotel I was staying at. As we pulled up, there were a few photographers waiting outside in a huddle of umbrellas. _Of course there were!_ Luckily I had brought a wad of Dollars with me to pay the driver. I got out and he helped me with my suitcase. None of the photographers moved and I had to dodge past them, struggling with my heavy bag. How I wished I had a man to help me.

"Who are you here for?" I nosily asked one of the photographers.

"BigBang," he replied as he was messily eating hot dog.

"Oh," I said with a flat tone, "I've never heard of them." I carried on dragging my suitcase to the check-in desk.

The assistant at the check-in desk smiled at me, noticing that I was tired and clearly fed up with my long journey.

"Good evening, how may I help you?" she chirpily said.

"Hi. Yes, I have a booking. It's not in my name, it's in the name of Mr Seunghyun Choi?"

"Ah yes," she said as she fiddled around on the keyboard. I looked around at the foyer to avoid any awkward eye contact. "Oh, unfortunately we've had to move you. You see..," she began to whisper, "we have a famous Korean boy band staying with us and they've booked out the whole of the 9th floor. So I am afraid your room is now on the 6th floor."

I raised my eyebrows at her.

"Yes, there was a reason I was booked onto that floor," I began.

"Oh, was there? That's not a problem, I can contact a Mr Lee to adjust the rooms?"

"NO!" I almost shouted, lunging forwards at the desk. Mr Lee, their manager, was definitely not to know that I had tagged along on this excursion. That would be the worst thing. "Honestly, the 6th floor is fine, thank you."

She gave me a very odd look. She must have thought I was an obsessive fan as after the conversation, she was stand-offish with me. After handing me the room key, I walked over to the elevator. In the corner of my eye, I noticed there were a group of fans huddled in the corner of the bar. Part of me wondered if the boys would get any peace on this trip.

The elevator came and I rammed my suitcase in, sighing as I pressed the button for the 6th floor. The door began to shut and someone shoved their hand in, causing the doors to jam and open again.

"Excuse me," came a voice as he jumped clumsily into the elevator.

 _Oh no._ It was Mr Lee, one of their managers. Even though we hadn't formally met, he had seen me at the restaurant after the tv performance so he would quite possibly recognise me. I hid my face in my chest, looking down at the floor. I didn't engage with him and hoped that he wouldn't say anything. Thankfully, the elevator took us to the 6th floor and I jolted out in a bid to escape but my suitcase got stuck in the grooves of the lift door.

"Oh, let me help you," he said as he tried to push my suitcase for me. _Oh God, not now!_

"Yes, thank you, thank you," I replied, trying to hide my face, sound grateful and escape from his gaze at the same time.

"Do... do I know you?" he asked as he paused, tilting his head, looking at me strangely.

"No, I don't think so," I hastily replied as I yanked my suitcase free. "Thank you!" I called as I rushed down the corridor, out of his way. I sincerely hoped that it didn't click who I was.

Frantically, I eyed the numbers on the doors of the hotel until I finally came to my door. Clumsily swiping my room key, I managed to open the door and hide in the room away from prying eyes. The door slammed noisily behind me.

I left my suitcase where it was and dived onto the huge, bed which was in the middle of the room. The windows were open and I could see a vast array of skyscrapers in the distance. I closed my eyes and the room began spinning: it was jet lag. I could have fallen asleep there and then but I decided not to as I wanted to see if Seunghyun was safe and have a shower. As I pulled myself up slowly from the bed, I noticed there was a bunch of dark red roses on the table. _No he didn't..._ I slowly walked over to the flowers and noticed that there was note left with them.

_Cheonsa; My Princess x_

Yes he did.

Giddily, I held onto the note and collapsed back onto the bed, kicking my legs in the air. _Had he really just sent me roses?_ I was so dizzy thinking about him, thoughts of his soft lips, dark eyes and smooth chest flooded my brain and I let out a squeal. _Did this mean he was serious about us?_ I rolled over and rooted around in my handbag for my phone. I had to call him and thank him for the flowers.

"Hello?" came the tired voice from the other end of the phone. He sounded so sweet sleepy.

"Jagiya? It's me," I said coyly. He pretended he hated it when I called him 'Jagiya' but he secretly loved it.

"Annyeong, are you ok?"

"Thank you for the flowers. They're gorgeous."

"Good. Listen, I have to go," he muttered as he put the phone down.

 _Oh, right okay thanks for the lovely chat_ _._ He was clearly with someone who wasn't supposed to know about us, hence the stilted conversation. I rolled my eyes and collapsed back onto the bed, accidentally falling into a deep sleep. I was still dressed with makeup on.

_* * *_

_KNOCK KNOCK!_

There was a soft knocking at my door. I checked the clock to see what time it was: _1am._ Eyes tender from sleep, I scrunched them up as I felt my way in the dark to the door, bumping into the wardrobe and bathroom door. The blinds were still open so I could just about make out the basics of where I was going. I looked through the peep-hole in the door to see my handsome man standing in the corridor. Instantly, I threw open the door to let him in.

"Seunghy..." I began but he cut me off by kissing me passionately, all over my face, my neck and my chest.

"I've waited all day to do this," he urged as he began to unbutton the shirt I was wearing, slamming the door shut with his free hand. He ran his hands over my chest, squeezing my chest with his soft but strong hands. I didn't even have time to stop him to say I had fallen asleep because he was all over me, peppering my neck and chest with little kisses. His hands moved down to my jeans and he unzipped them and pulled them down as he pushed me hard against the wall of my hotel room. My hands were in his hair, tugging at it as I nibbled at his ear. He let out a soft moan. He unzipped his trousers and grabbed my leg, taking it over his hips so I was straddling him. I bent my head back and he entered me, gasping for air as I had forgotten how good he felt. He made a low, deep sound letting me know he was feeling it too. As he rutted hard against me, I thrust my hips to steady with his rhythm. Still half asleep, I burried my face in his neck as he carried on making love to me. This wasn't just vanilla sex, there was something in the way that he held me that made me think this was special. As he finished, he held me close and carried me over to my bed.

"Stay the night?" I asked him as he wrapped us both in the duvet.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he replied, kissing my forehead.

"Seunghyun..." I whispered in my tired and vulnerable state.

"Yes?"

...

"Cheonsa? Yes?"

I didn't say anything back to him as I had fallen fast asleep in his arms. The most perfect place to be.


	23. Chapter 23

Waking up alone after falling asleep with him seemed to be a pattern in our relationship. However, I knew that he had a busy schedule, especially as today the boys were meant to be filming some interviews for TV shows and doing a radio show performance.

After showering and getting dressed, I realised that it was not morning: it was the afternoon. I was certainly confused with the time differences. _Bloody jet lag._ Feeling hungry, I decided to venture out of the hotel and down the street to the nearest deli. It was freezing cold and I hadn't brought a coat so I was wrapped up in two jumpers probably looking as stupid as ever. I knew the style-conscious Seunghyun would definitely laugh at my fashion choices right now. I text Sooyun and asked what her plans were for the day, hoping she would be free to hang out. She said she wasn't as she was doing hair and makeup for the boys but I could stop by: they were still at the hotel getting ready before going to the tv studio. Sooyun promised me it would be safe as the management weren't interested in this part of the boys' day. Stuffing my face full of food that I had bought from the deli counter, I got up and rushed back to the hotel, eager to see Seunghyun.

As I rushed up the street to the entrance of the hotel, I noticed Jiyong was coming in from a car. There were probably fifty, _even sixty,_ photographers surrounding him and shouting his name.

"G Dragon! G Dragon! Over here!"

"Great pose, G Dragon!"

"Turn this way, G Dragon!"

 _How did he cope with the constant fussing and attention?_ I stopped and watched it all, as did a few other pedestrians. There were also fans squealing his name, unfazed by the lightning flashes of the cameras. Jiyong posed, signed a few items and took photographs with fans before flashing a peace sign as his security guard ushered him into the foyer. Pausing to escape the chaos, I watched the photographers and fans filter away after Jiyong had left. I was quite shocked by how Jiyong had been figuratively mobbed. Even though I had seen glimpses into their lives as idols, it still made me feel slightly sick to see how much people desired their attention. Jiyong couldn't even get out of a car without the whole world staring at him.

Taking a deep breath, I carried on into to the foyer. My nose was red from the cold and I rubbed my hands together to try and warm them up. I felt a rush of energy as I realised I would soon see _him_. Sooyun had explained that I needed to take the elevator up the their floor and knock four times on the last door on the left of the corridor and someone would open the door for me.

I checked my appearance in the mirror and was it was not pleasant. Instead of going straight up to see them, I diverted into my room and decided to get changed. The devil on my shoulder told me to put on something stunning that would make me stand out in the room and stop him in his tracks. What did I pack that would do that? _A short black dress._ Smoothing down my long hair after brushing it and applying some nude lipstick (I didn't want to be _too_ obvious) I was ready to go. I held my head up high and felt confident, as if nothing and no one in the world could bring me down. 

Again, I studied my appearance in the elevator mirrors looking at all angles. I was pretty pleased with myself. _He wouldn't know where to look..._

_Knock KNOCK knock KNOCK._

I made sure I followed Sooyun's instructions as I tapped on the last door on the left of the corridor. I could hear Daesung's sweet voice cracking some sort of joke in Korean and Seungri's hearty laugh. I smiled: they were always so happy. I inched forwards, trying to see if I could hear anything else. Footsteps approached and the door handle squeaked as Sooyun opened the door. Her face was a picture and she looked as if she had just seen a ghost. A stern look spread across her face and her eyes widened, raising her eyebrows with suspicion. _What was she trying to tell me?_

"Don't sa..." she began in a whispered tone before she was interrupted by Seungri calling her name.

"Sooyun, control Daesung!!" Seungri screeched as he came running to the door and stopping dead as he saw me. He looked me up and down, taking in what I was wearing and smiled slightly. _No, not for you Seungri, calm down boy._

"Errr, annyeong..." he said with a sweet smile before turning his head and heading off. He said something in Korean.

There was more Korean speaking. I was standing on the door step like a fool and decided to walk in before anyone saw me and refused me entrance. Sooyun grabbed my wrist as she tried to pull me back but I was far too eager to see him so I shook her off. 

The room smelt strongly of hair spray and baby powder. There were no beds, just chairs and huge mirrors. Daesung was sat in the chair on the chair by the wall, his makeup being touched up by a lady who I knew as the top artist; Youngbae was sat on another chair reading a book. He was ready but his head had been shaved. I was definitely shocked to see his new style but _of course_ he looked good: he always did. I scanned the room to see another two girls, one in the makeup chair having her eyelashes fixed and another having her hair straightened. Seungri was standing behind the hairdresser pretending to do her hair. Comical as usual.

In the far right corner, Seunghyun was there but another woman was sat fawning at his feet, stroking his ankles. She stared at me as I looked at her and said something in Korean. I gave her a deadpan stare, anger bubbling up inside me like nothing I had felt before. _Get away from him and stop touching my boyfriend's leg..._

"Ah!" Sooyun interrupted her dramatically, "this is... Sophie!... she is from the modelling agency... she is here to help with the boys for the week." _Sophie?! Was that the first name she could think of?!_ Sooyun looked at me nervously, urging me to play along with her fabricated story. My eyes darted from Sooyun to Seunghyun and to Seungri to the woman. Everyone was starting at me. The boys were awkwardly staring at me. Seunghyun sat there not saying a word.

"Oh, hello," said the woman as she looked me up and down clearly judging my rather _formal_ attire. "My name is Lauren, I'm one of the girls from the video shoot."

My blood boiled. I recognised that this was the woman who had accompanied Seunghyun to the movie premier. Flashbacks of seeing her cling to him and fawn over him like a wet lettuce jolted into my memory. It took all the strength I had not to break character, although I dug my nails into my palm at my side. She was still stroking his bare ankles as if he was a fucking cat. 

Seunghyun had reverted back to being The Villain, sitting there as cool as a cucumber, even reclining in his chair. I could see that I had piqued his interested in what I was wearing; he studied me up and down, albeit discreetly, but did didn't say a word to acknowledge anything. He didn't seem in the least bit bothered that she was all over him.

"Hello, _Lauren,"_ I said through almost gritted teeth. The atmosphere began to grow frosty and Sooyun interrupted.

"Sophie, darling, could you please assist with Seungri's finishing touches?" She put her left hand on Seungri, who looked at me sympathetically.

"Certainly, that's what the agency sent me for," I replied in forced tones. _Surely this idiot can sense that I am unimpressed?_

"Let's go over _here..."_ Seungri said as he put his arm on me and led me to the chair. He sat down with his back to Seunghyun and I could feel the Villain staring at me in the mirror. I was expecting him to say something, at least tell her to stop touching him. No: Lauren carried on babbling at him and giggling at him in Korean like a love-sick teenager. Seungri nodded his head, hinting towards a makeup brush and I picked it up, pretending to apply some powder. He rolled his eyes towards them and shrugged, mouthing "I don't know!" He gave me sympathetic puppy eyes as he could sense my frustration with how Seunghyun was acting.

Youngbae was still sat in his chair but I could see him glancing over with suspicion. The tension was rising in me, like a volcano about the erupt with firey, molten lava. _How could he not have mentioned Lauren was here? Is he deliberately trying to play games?_ _He could have at least sent me a warning text._ Seungri could see what was about to happen and be grabbed my wrist to stop me but it was too late. I looked over at Youngbae.

"Taeyang, who did your buzz cut? It looks very handsome."

Startled, he looked up at me, eyes growing wider from the sudden conversation, dumbfounded with the complement. His eyes sparkled.

"Annyeong, _Sophie_ ," he smiled as he played along with Sooyun's silly alias. "Jae did it. Do you like it?" I could tell he was trying to be polite.

I bit my lip as I looked at him.

"You want to be careful looking like that, _Oppa_ , you might attract unwanted attention..."

I felt so naughty saying this to him. I didn't even call Seunghyun _Oppa._ I bet it drove the idiot crazy to hear me say that to another man.

Seunghyun coughed loudly as he heard me say it. I didn't even give him the satisfaction to look at him. He deserved to feel like an idiot.

Lauren said something to him in Korean and immediately Daesung began trying to make jokes to soften the atmosphere. I took my eyes off Youngbae, who was looking at me with a confused smile, and looked Seunghyun straight in the eyes. I could tell he was really annoyed with me.

I felt sick. I didn't want to be there. I realised I had just made myself look incredibly silly to all of the boys, especially Youngbae. It wasn't fair to drag him into this stupid game. Seungri looked at me and frowned, obviously confused with everything going on. Daesung was still trying to crack jokes to lighten the mood. Lauren began laughing at him so hard but it sounded incredibly fake.

" _Sophie,_ I need this jacket stitching, it is too loose. Can you come and help me?" Seungri hinted through gritted teeth trying to create a distraction. I could see the stylist brushing through Seunghyun's hair so he couldn't look at me. _That man made me so bloody angry._

I sighed but managed to hold it together enough to speak to Seungri.

"Yes, of course I will."

Seungri got up and walked me out of the room, down the corridor and into his suite. I didn't dare look back at anyone. I could feel myself welling up to cry with anxiety and embarrassment. I sat on his messy bed and burst into tears.

"Hey, hey! It's ok, don't cry," he calmly said as he came over and scooped me into a cuddle. Even though he was the immature maknae, he could also be incredibly thoughtful.

"Why didn't he tell me?" I sniffed, hot tears running down my face as I tried not to mess up Seungri's outfit.

"Maybe he is trying to just play along so no one suspects? Please don't cry. Here, shall I send him a message explaining that you are feeling upset?"

"NO!" I shouted in fear. I felt so embarrassed that I had caused a scene with Youngbae in front of them all. 

The door opened and Jiyong waltzed in, throwing his bucket hat on the bed and almost jumping when he saw us sat on the bed.

"Woah, woah, why the tears Cheonsa?!" he asked as he crouched down in front of us.

"Take a wild guess," Seungri replied, pursing his lips.

"Lauren?" Jiyong replied. He knew the score. 

I scoffed at Jiyong.

"So you all knew and didn't think to mention it?!"

"We didn't know you were tagging along, otherwise we would have at least let you know. But to be honest, it's not our place to tell you." Jiyong paused and took his sunglasses off. I could see the concern in his eyes.

"Seunghyun is just trying to protect you by doing this, honestly," Jiyong continued. "If he doesn't flirt with Lauren or at least engage with her, it would arise suspicion. He is always known as being the _ladies man_ in the band. He can't just stop that act otherwise people will grow suspicious. Lauren is from YG and she would spread gossip if she knew he was seeing someone, we all know that..."

Seungri hummed in agreement.

"She is known to chatter to her girlfriends. It would 100% get back to YG if she suspected something. Please don't be upset by him. I'm telling you as his friend, he isn't trying to be an utter asshole."

Jiyong's words comforted me and he put his hand on my knee tenderly.

"There is one problem though..." Seungri chimed in, looking at me with a slightly judgemental side eye.

"I...I....," I began hesitantly.

"Go on...?" Jiyong urged as he bent back to lean on the minibar.

"I told Youngbae he looked handsome. And..." I began to feel slightly sick.

"And...?"

"I said he was _Oppa..."_

Jiyong didn't say anything. His face said it all and he bit his lip.

"I know..." Seungri chimed in trying to make a joke out of it. It wasn't really the time for jokes.

Just then there were a series of loud bangs on the door. Jiyong bolted up ,looked at me held his hands out.

"Do you want me to open it?" he asked.

I sighed and rolled my eyes, putting my head in my hands. He didn't need to hear an answer from me. He scrambled up from the floor and went over to the door, looking through the peephole.

"He doesn't look happy," he said with worry in his voice. I buried my face into Seungri's shoulder: I knew what was about to happen. I heard Jiyong open the door. Seunghyun strode into the room like an angry bull. I winced because his voice was so loud. He was shouting in Korean. God knows what he was saying. As he came closer, he began shouting English.

"Are you trying to deliberately sabotage things here??!" He shouted as he stood in front of me. I buried myself deeper into Seungri as I was too embarrassed to face up to what had happened. I knew that I was in the wrong in the situation. Seungri pulled me away from him gently. I still didn't say anything and refused to look Seunghyun in the eyes instead looking at his shoes, which were impeccably shiny.

"Hyung, we should go," Jiyong said to Seungri in hushed tones. I looked up at them both with sad eyes, almost begging them to stay but I knew I had to be grown up and face the consequences. As they made their exit, I took a deep breath. I didn't want things to be awkward with Seunghyun but I wasn't sure what was going to happen.

He stood in front of me, arm crossed and brows furrowed. 

"Why did you act like that? Calling Youngbae _Oppa_ in front of me?"

"She was all over you..." I reluctantly said.

He sighed and put his hands in his head.

"Aish, Cheonsa, what do you expect me to do? Tell her ' _sorry you can't touch me or flirt with me. I have a secret girlfriend'?_ " He paused. "What would happen if I gave her that impression? Do you think she would be quiet or do you think she would go straight to YGE management? If she did, then what would happen? Do you think we'd be able to live in the same country? No. Why? Because we'd be banned from seeing each other. I don't want that."

Tears began to well in my eyes as I thought about facing the future without him. I felt pathetic. We hadn't even known each other that long yet I felt utterly miserable at the situation.

"What do you want me to say? That I love seeing other women fawn over you and flirt with you? That I enjoy watching you lap up their attention?"

He rolled his eyes at me. 

"Why are you being so difficult?"

"I'm not being difficult but I wish you would have stopped her from stroking your ankles!" My voice was raised. 

"So. Your problem is with my ankles?" he half-laughed. I looked at his dark eyes and felt myself begin to smile. 

"Yes, Seunghyun... it's all about your ankles."

He relaxed his stance and held out his hand, pulling me up towards him. I tried to play it cool but there was little chance of that as soon as I felt his arms around me. He held me tightly. 

"I'm doing this for us. Our privacy. There are times when I may seem like I don't give a fuck but trust me, I do. I love spending time with you. Why else would you be here? If I wanted to mess around with women, I wouldn't have sneakily brought my girlfriend half way across the world, would I?" He kissed my forehead. 

"I'm sorry," I apologised. "I'm sorry I was flirting with Youngbae. You are Oppa. Jagiya..."

He pushed me away from him, pretending he was disgusted. 

"Oh shut up, Seunghyun," I said as I kissed him. 

"I'm sorry that you thought I was flirting with Lauren," he replied. "Are you going to stop this silliness now? Because we've got to get ready for this TV show and I don't want you being sad."

"Yes," I replied quietly. We agreed that we would meet up again once he had finished his appearance. He suggested I left Seungri's room separately to him as we didn't want to risk being seen. As I left, something was nagging at me. I wasn't sure what it was but I felt uneasy. Maybe it was the thought of Lauren. Maybe it was the thought of Ri-na. I slinked back into the elevator, back to my own room and stood on the balcony with a cigarette, hoping that these fall outs would not be a regular occurrence. 


	24. Chapter 24

Sooyun was not impressed with the situation that had unfolded during the afternoon. She wondered what had happened when Seunghyun had abruptly left the room.

"Where did he go?" Lauren asked her with a confused look on her face.

"I think he went to go for a cigarette with Jiyong," Sooyun said. She had no idea if that was true but she had to say something to cover for him.

Sooyun did not like Lauren. She thought that Lauren was very full of her self and acted as if she was the World's Princess. During her career as a makeup artist, Sooyun had come across many idols, both male and female, and some of them thought they were literally Gods and Goddesses. Lauren was one of them.

"I thought maybe I could tag along to this TV show?" Lauren said as she twirled her hair around her fingers. Sooyun didn't like the sound of that so she tried to put Lauren off.

"Ah, it will be very boring," she said as she began tidying away some of her brushes.

"I know but I want to see what American TV shows are like. Plus, I want to spend some time with the boys," Lauren replied.

Sooyun internally rolled her eyes. _Yeah right, more like you want to spend some time with Seunghyun._ She knew that she had to say something to him. As Sooyun was putting away her makeup, she made eyes at Daesung, hinting for him to help her put Lauren off the scent.

"Honestly, Lauren, all we do is sit inside the dressing room until it is time to perform. It is very boring," Daesung began. Sooyun gave him an urging look so that he would continue. "Erm... no one talks to each other and Seunghyun likes to be silent before each performance."

Sooyun smiled at him as he was doing a good job at putting her off.

"I hear that there is an event in Times Square later, Lauren. Why don't you and the other video girls attend? There might be some handsome American men?" Sooyun carried on. She looked at Youngbae who was not taking any interest in the conversation. She had hoped he would join in but at the same time, she didn't know where he stood in the whole debacle anymore.

Lauren pursed her lips.

"Ummmm, it sounds lovely but no I think I will come with you."

Sooyun was annoyed but what could she do? Unless she was very obvious, blowing the cover, she wasn't in the position to say anything else to Lauren.

"Ok then, if you insist," Sooyun replied feebly, staring at Daesung.

"Remember though, it's so boring and we don't really talk..." Daesung said as he shrugged.

"That's fine with me but it sounds so exciting! What time will we be meeting?"

"The boys will go to the studio earlier than us so you will have to come in the stylist car. It will be 8pm in the foyer."

"Oh Sooyun, I can't wait!" Lauren replied, grabbing Sooyun's arm in excitement. Sooyun wanted to slap her arm off but she had to make sure she was being polite and friendly. After all, Lauren was a trainee and had some degree of influence in the YG world compared to Sooyun.

Youngbae's phone rang. It was management passing on the message that they had half an hour until the boys were leaving. They decided to go back to their own rooms. Lauren air-kissed Daesung and Youngbae, leaving Sooyun feeling even angrier because this wasn't normal protocol in Korea for trainees to show such affection to their sunbaes. As soon as Lauren left, Sooyun knew she had to go and find Seunghyun.

"Daesung, where is Seunghyun? He has forgotten.. his... erm...his sunglasses!" Sooyun said, trying to think of a legitimate reason to find Seunghyun. Even though Lauren had left, some of the other stylists and makeup assistants were still in the room.

Daesung swung around in his chair playfully.

"Well, Sooyun, I think he might be in his room," he replied trying to sound suave as if he were playing along with her story.

"Ok, thank you, I will need to _go and find him_ because he will miss these expensive glasses," she said through gritted teeth. No one even looked up at her: her story must be sticking. She grabbed the glasses that were sat on the side table and rushed out of the room to find Seunghyun.

She came to his room and knocked on the door, softly. After waiting a few seconds, he peered round the door and let her in. Sooyun stormed into the room and stood by the balcony with her arms on her hips showing him she meant business.

Seunghyun sighed as he walked over to the table and collected his cigarettes. He lit one and slid open the balcony door, standing next to it as he blew smoke outside.

"What are you doing?!' Sooyun said to him with a fierce tone. "Why didn't you stop Lauren from fawning over you like a fly over shit?!"

Seunghyun laughed in-between drags of his cigarette. He knew Sooyun and Daesung were dating but he was definitely not going to be answering to her or taking orders from her.

"Excuse me?" he replied in his cool tones.

"What you were doing is not good, Seunghyun. I understand you don't want to 'give away the game' but come on, she was all over you like a rash."

He knew that Sooyun was right but he couldn't swallow his pride and admit it to her.

"I've got a reputation to uphold, Sooyun."

She rolled her eyes at him and tutted.

"If you hurt her, God forbid what will happen to you."

"Is that a threat, Sooyun?" He looked out into the fading sunset.

"It will be more than a threat if you carry on the way you are. Lauren is coming to the tv studio so you had better behave yourself, Seunghyun. I will be watching you and I will be reporting on everything that you are doing."

"Oh so now I'm being watched in public by fans and the press, and in private by Inspector Sooyun!"

Sooyun huffed at him. He was being stubborn and insolent but at the same time, she could hear the humour in his voice. She had to trust him. She had no other option.

"Please, Seunghyun," she said to him in pleading tones, batting her eyelids at him.

"I promise."

Sooyun gave him a stern side glance and headed back to her room to get ready for the evening.

* * *

It was nearing 11pm and I was still wearing my black dress, sulking in my hotel room. I hadn't heard from anyone let alone Seunghyun. I was tempted to text Sooyun but I knew she would have contacted me if there was anything that she needed to tell me. I wanted to phone Jiyong or Seungri but if they weren't busy working they'd be out partying. I wondered if Seunghyun was out with them too. My thoughts flashed to them all in a club, Seungri and Jiyong dancing away whilst Seunghyun was in the corner with his hands on Lauren, finding his way around her thighs like he was doing to Ri-na that night a few months ago. I shook my head trying to get the horrid thoughts away. I was torturing myself. He had told me that there was nothing going on and I believed him.

Feeling sorry for myself, I decided that I would go for a walk around the beautiful city. I changed my black dress for some black jeans and threw on my two jumpers to keep warm. I had no idea plan where I was going but I knew I just wanted to walk around. Heading out of the hotel, it was so cold that I could see my breath in the air. I saw there was a yellow taxi sat outside of the hotel and I approached, asking him if he could take me to Times Square. As we drove, I watched the lights of the buildings zoom past and it reminded me of Seoul. I felt empty without him by my side. Despite feeling melancholy, I was determined to have a good time and enjoy the city at night.

When the driver dropped me off, I stood in awe as I looked at the amazing bright lights of Times Square. I wondered around, taking in the sights and sauntered over to a street vendor where I bought myself a fresh donut and a coffee. Standing on the street corner, I could feel my pocket vibrating. I stuffed the donut into my mouth to free up my hand so that I could answer my phone.

"Mmmm?!" I answered, mouth full of cake.

"Cheonsa?"

It was The Villain himself.

"Mmmm!!" I replied as I frantically tried to chew and swallow my donut.

"Are you ok? I can't hear you?"

I didn't reply until I had at least finished the majority of my food. He kept asking if the signal was breaking up.

"Seunghyun? Sorry, I was eating a donut."

"Eating a donut? Where are you? It sounds loud."

"I'm in Times Square. Why?"

"Times Square?"

"The corner of 7th Avenue and West 47th Street. Why?"

"Don't move."

He put the phone down. It was nearly midnight and although it was quieter than it would be at mid day, this was a busy part of the city. _Was he coming to find me?_ I waited nervously, lighting up a cigarette and sipped my coffee. I watched the tourists gawp at the lights and taking photographs; I watched drunk people stumble out of the bars and restaurants; I watched the cars and taxis drive by. I was wrapped up in my own world.

Suddenly, there was a tap on my shoulder and I looked up. There he was, looking as delicious as he always did. He had a long grey coat on over his suit, his black hair combed back and most importantly, he was wearing that lustful smile of his.

"You've got two jumpers on and no coat?" he asked me as he came and stood in front of me. He was wearing his glasses and he looked tired. He had probably just come straight from the tv show.

"Jagiya!" I said happily. I went to hug him but realised we were in a public place so it was probably inappropriate considering the circumstances. I awkwardly stepped back and knocked into a pedestrian. _Typical clumsy me._

"Why are you out in the city at midnight?" he asked me as he put his hand next to mine. I could feel his skin brush against me and it sent me crazy. I wanted to play it cool but it was so difficult when his energy was so electric.

"I was bored in the hotel," I replied, looking up to him. He was a lot taller me. There was a pause.

"How was your tv show?" I asked him trying not to sound too interested. Part of me wanted to know if Lauren had tried anything on.

"You know, same as it always is." He wasn't giving anything away. "Do you want to walk back to the hotel with me?" he asked.

I coyly smiled and nodded but didn't look him in the eye. He took my hand in his, brought it up to his lips and squeezed it tightly.

"Let's go. The hotel is a couple of blocks from here. I've got some apologising to do."

We walked down the streets and he told me about the tv show, telling me about the performance and how everyone had gone out for drinks afterwards.

"Well didn't they think it was weird when you said you weren't going?" I asked him as we walked, hand in hand, down the street.

"I told them I was going to bed."

"Oh right, like they all believed that."

"Of course _the boys_ didn't believe it but everyone else did and that is all that matters?"

"You know, you didn't have to come and find me. I could have got back to the hotel by myself," I protested.

"I'm sure you could but I wanted to spend time with you. I wanted you to know how sorry I am for allowing Lauren to flirt with me like that. I understand that you thought it was rude. I don't want you to think that about me."

"Thank you for apologising," I said calmly. It still didn't change the fact I felt jealous of Lauren.

"You know, you're cute when you're mad at me," he teased.

"You're weird," I replied, not knowing how to take his compliment.

"So, do you want to go back to my hotel room? We have an early start for the video tomorrow but I'd rather stay awake with you than sleep?"

"What do you think?" I said as I squeezed his hand.

"Good. That's what I thought," he said. "Also, where is your coat?"

"I didn't bring one."

"We can buy one tomorrow then. Which would you prefer? Don't get Jiyong talk you into Chanel if you prefer Burberry."

I didn't even reply to that. Someone who was used to buying coats that cost less than a tenth of what a Chanel coat would have cost.

Tomorrow was going to be an exciting day.


	25. Chapter 25

I certainly didn't appreciate being woken up by the taps on the door at 6am. The sun hadn't even risen and I was certainly feeling very tired. As I began to wake up, I slowly realised that we were in bed _together._

He stretched and put his arms around me as we cuddled up in the bedsheets. I ran my hands along his naked body. _Naked body._ He began kissing me as his hands wandered around my chest and down my stomach, making me quiver with excitement.

"Seunghyun, are you awake?" came the voice of the management followed by more annoying taps. "Seunghyun?"

He stopped kissing me and muttered something under his breath in Korean before shouting back to the person behind the door. He looked back at me and carried on, grabbing my hips with his hands as I kissed him softly. Gently, he took his hard cock in his left hand and guided it into me. I gripped the back of his head and pulled it backwards in ecstasy as he began to pump slowly and carefully. _Waking up early was certainly worth it now._ As a moan escaped my lips, he began to pick up his pace, tightening his grip against my hips. I was aware that management were lurking in the corridor, so I tried to be as quiet as I could but as I began to reach climax, I couldn't help but call his name. He brought his finger to my lips to shush me but I ended up sucking it which caused him to whimper with delight.

"Harder," I whispered into his ear.

He carried on thrusting, growing more powerful until he shouted my name and collapsed in a heap on the bed, our limbs entwined in a beautiful mess. He kissed my forehead and smiled at me.

"You are gorgeous. The best thing to wake up next to."

"You don't mean that, stop it," I replied bashfully. He caressed my cheek with his thumb.

"I need to get in the shower," he said as he began to get up. "Stay here and do not answer the door."

As he left, I clocked his naked body from behind and smiled smugly to myself. He was like a fantasy come to life. Leaning over to the bedside table, I checked my phone to see if I had any messages. There was one from Sooyun.

_Video shoot today - can you come along to hang out? There will be lots of people so you won't be noticed. I can let you on set with my pass xxx_

I wasn't going to turn down this opportunity, especially if it meant I could see Seunghyun. I text her back and she told me the location and the time that she would be available. Seunghyun came back into the room, towel tied around his waist.

"Why are you smiling?" he asked me with his suave, cool tone. I got up out of the bed, still naked, and walked over to him, making sure that he could soak up every inch of me. He wrapped his arms around me, his hands wandering onto my butt and squeezing hard. He moaned softly which drove me crazy.

"No reason," I giggled. I wasn't going to tell him that I was going to the shoot, it would be a surprise for him.

He squeezed me tighter.

"After the shoot is done, I'm taking you to get a coat, Cheonsa."

"I don't need a new coat, I've got plenty at home."

"Your man wants to buy you a coat." He pulled away from me and looked me in the eyes seriously. "I do not want you to get cold."

"I am sorry, _sir,"_ I joked with him. He pulled me closer again.

"Today's shoot won't be too long as it's mainly Jiyong and Youngbae in shot today but we will do some group things. I'll pick you up at the hotel when we are finished." He paused as he licked his lips. "I am glad you came here. It gives me something to look forwards to at the end of the day."

"You are becoming too fluffy, Seunghyun," I joked with him. It was true though, he was starting to soften as our relationship grew. I loved it.

" I am not. Can't a man enjoy having his woman near?" He glanced over at the clock on the wall. "I need to get ready, Cheonsa. Stay with me until I leave?"

"Of course, Jagiya," I said as I kissed him.

* * *

Taking the subway was supposed to be a good idea but unfortunately it wasn't because I got lost and ended up having to catch a cab to the location that Sooyun had given me. It was still freezing cold but I managed to dip into a coffee shop and pick up a warming caramel latte. Walking through the streets like a lost puppy, I managed to find the location of the shoot. There were lots of people there crowding around cameras and a tent, which I presumed was where everyone was getting ready. I text Sooyun to say that I was here. As I approached, a burly man in a leather jacket came up to me.

"Sorry, fans are not allowed here," he said in a gruff voice.

"I'm on set actually," I said trying to blag my way in.

"Where is your pass then?" he challenged me.

 _Oh shit, I haven't got a pass._ I looked around to see if Sooyun was on her way over to me.

"I haven't got one... yet."

"Well you're not coming in then. Good try though," he laughed as he strode away. I turned around, embarrassed and dug my phone out of my jeans pocket, dialling Sooyun's number. Just then, I saw her emerge from the tent along with lots of other people, including Jiyong and Seungri.

 _"Sophie!"_ she shouted to me. I almost didn't realise that she was talking to me because she was using my fake name. "How lovely that you could come and watch the shoot!" she joked. "Why don't you come and join us?" She ushered for me to accompany her and I gave the security guard a smug look. _Not so funny now, is it?_

Sooyun took my hand and led me into the set. I could see the camera operators adjusting their cameras as Jiyong stood in the centre of the street ready to shoot the video. He didn't see me and I tried to make myself as invisible as possible. Sooyun and I slinked the back of the set and stood by a wall. She picked us up a coffee each from the catering table, which was welcome as I was beginning to get cold again. Just then, I could see another woman approach Jiyong as the director yelled 'ACTION!". She was walking down the street and Jiyong was having to interact with her, touching her face and pretending to run after her. _What an interesting concept._ _.._

After an hour of watching Jiyong flounce around with the model, we decided to see if we could find Daesung and Seunghyun. He wasn't supposed to know that I was on set but I missed him and wanted to see him. I knew I had to stay in character though and felt slightly deflated that I couldn't run up to him and hug him or kiss him.

We meandered through the various crew on set and saw the tent in front us. Seunghyun was stood outside having a cigarette by himself. As soon as he clocked me, he was surprised to see me. Looking me up and down, he flicked the ash from his cigarette.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he asked with a surprised tone, slightly smiling. I stood next to him but not close enough that it would be suspicious.

"I missed you," I said, looking at my feet as I nervously shuffled them.

"You're dangerous." He took a drag of his cigarette.

"No one knows anything, so there is no need to be concerned, Jagiya."

"They will know if you carry on calling me that." He raised his eyebrows.

"SEUNGHYUN, we need you on set now!" called one of the managers. Seunghyun flicked his cigarette onto the floor and crushed it with the ball of his foot. He looked so hot in his jacket. It took all of my strength not to pin him up the wall and devour him. He winked at me as he turned around and walked cooly over to the set.

"Ah! Seunghyunnie!" came the squeal of Lauren as I saw her rush into him, grasping at his arm. "Are you ready? I am so looking forwards to this!"

_What. What was she looking forwards to?_

I watched as Lauren walked with him to the front of the camera. The director called for action and he began rapping his lyrics to the music playing in the background. Lauren was walking away from him as he grabbed her and pulled her close, singing into her ears. I knew this was a video shoot but it was too much to see this after yesterday. I couldn't separate his work from his personal life and it made me feel very lost, very alone and very self-conscious. If that wasn't enough, he kissed her and seemed to be loving it. There was me in jeans and two jumpers and Lauren in a heels and a long dress, hair and makeup looking as if she were on a Hollywood movie set.

To protect myself, I turned and almost sprinted away from it, refusing to accept that this was just for the music video. Why couldn't I separate work and emotions? I tried to tell myself it was all pretend, but after the incident with Ri-na in the club, I couldn't shake the feeling that our relationship was fake and about to crumble at any moment. As I ran from the scene, I crashed into Youngbae. He could see that I was visibly upset.

"What's wrong?" he asked me as he grabbed my shoulders tenderly.

"Oh, Youngbae, I am sorry I bumped into you _again,"_ I said as I tried to ignore his question. _Bumping into him was becoming a regular thing_. I didn't want to go into detail about how I felt. Especially with him. His touch on my shoulders made me feel giddy. _No. Stop it._

"Just remember, it's not real, it's just for the music video," he reassured me with his gentle smile. I sighed.

"It's pathetic, I know and I should get over myself," I said as I looked at the floor.

"No, its not pathetic. It shows how in love you are with him." He said this with a hint of sadness in his voice. Slowly, I raised my head and looked at him in the eyes. There was something he was trying to say with his expression.

"In lov..." I began until I was interrupted by Sooyun.

"What are you doing?!" she asked me as she pulled me away from Youngbae.

"It's ok, Sooyun, we were just having a friendly conversation," he said as he bowed to Sooyun. _He was always so polite._

"The director has called for the next shot with Seungri and Daesung. Seunghyun is looking for you," she said to me, trying to get me away from Youngbae. She began to discreetly push me away from Youngbae as we were walking.

I was glad that the shot was over and I weakly smiled at Youngbae as I was semi-dragged away by Sooyun to find Seunghyun. I wasn't going to tell him about my reaction to him and Lauren kissing. _That would just make me sound desperate and clingy._

When I found him, he was being crowded by people touching up his hair and brushing his jacket off.

"Excuse me," he said to them as he saw me and got up. "Do you have the samples I was asking about?" he asked me. I twigged onto that he was thing to formulate a reason to leave.

"Oh yes, would you like me to show them to you?" I played along even though I was clueless to what he was saying.

"Are they at the gallery?" he asked me. I had no idea what he was talking about.

"Erm...."

"Ah yes, great! Let me just check with Lee," he said with a hint of mischief in his voice. I watched him walk over to his manager and talk to him in Korean. Mr Lee, the manager, looked me up and down. I could tell he was replaying the elevator scene over in his head. I hoped he wasn't becoming suspicious. I hoped he didn't recognise me. He nodded to Seunghyun who walked back to me.

"I told him that you were from the Art Gallery and you needed to show me art samples for the upcoming tour."

"He bought that?" I asked, tilting my head to the side. "Surely he would want to see some proof or at least some ID from me?"

"Mr Lee trusts me, my character is impeccable."

I scoffed at him.

"Really?!"

"Yes. Don't doubt me."

I smiled and looked at him. If anyone had seen the way I looked at him, they would have immediately clicked that there was something other than professional art sampling going on.

"I suggest we go and get you a coat, Princess," he said to me as he lit up a cigarette.

"Great. There is a TJ Maxx by the subway station."

He paused as he took a drag on his cigarette.

"No, Cheonsa. Let go to Fifth Avenue. I want to treat you. A beautiful woman needs a beautiful coat."

 _Treat me? To an expensive coat?_ The feeling I had was indescribable. No one had ever bought me anything expensive before and no one had ever called me beautiful the way he did.

He led the way out of the set and to a black Mercedes that was parked on the side of the street. He spoke to the driver, telling him to take us to Fifth Avenue. He opened the door of the car for me and nodded for me to get in. I thought it was lucky there were no photographers otherwise they would have had a field day. As we got into the car, he immediately smothered me in kisses.

"You are addictive, Cheonsa," he said between breaths. "I can't get enough of you."

I paused, stupidly thinking of Youngbae.

"I hope you don't overdose," I replied.


	26. Chapter 26

I never thought I would be the type of person who would lavish the experience of blowing tonnes of cash on luxury clothing but it was such a thrill when he treated me. He bought me so many clothes including a gorgeous Burberry Trench and a stunning red Dior dress.

"Anything for my princess," he said as he paid for it all on his card. The sales assistants just treated him as another rich foreigner, pleased to serve him but definitely not batting an eyelid at who they were serving. I could imagine it was certainly not like this when he went shopping in Seoul.

He made me wear my Burberry Trench and Gucci scarf he had bought me because he insisted it was too cold to walk around without a coat. He asked me if I wanted to go out for dinner with him.

"Oh yes, I could _murder_ a Five Guys!" I ravenously exclaimed, throwing my arms into the air and causing my various shopping bags to flap around.

"No, Cheonsa. I am inviting you to dinner, not a take-out." He laughed at me as he massaged his temple. He was clearly not on the same page as I was...

"Oh, you mean in a fancy restaurant?" I joked with him.

"Yes. In a 'fancy restaurant'."

I smiled at him in anticipation. It would be like a proper date.

"I would love to go to dinner with you, Seunghyun."

"Good. There is a table booked for 7 at Per Se."

I paused and stared at him with wide eyes.

"Per Se? Don't be silly. You can't get a reservation there! It's famous for not having any openings for months..."

He looked at me and raised his eyebrow.

"Are you serious?" I asked him, mouth open wide.

"Anything for my Princess," he said as he put his arm around me and squeezed me tightly.

"Oh wow!" I exclaimed. He smiled as he lead me towards the car that was waiting for us.

Even though our relationship was supposed to be secretive, our shopping excursion in New York certainly wasn't. However, at that moment in time we didn't care. It was pure bliss to wander around the streets with him like a real, normal couple. It didn't even cross my mind that anyone would be watching us.

As we got to the hotel, Seunghyun was conscious that there would be photographers so he insisted the car drop me off so I could walk the rest of the way. _What a gentleman... not._

I managed to walk to the entrance of the hotel just as he pulled up in the car. Even though the reception he received wasn't as busy as Jiyong's, there were still photographers snapping away and calling his name. It was a truly strange thing to witness. Smiling to myself, I made my way to my hotel room to get ready.

Throwing myself onto the bed with my various high-end shopping bags, I giggled and kicked my legs like a silly little girl. This was one of the most perfect things that had happened to me. I knew I needed to get ready for our first official date so I washed my hair, straightened it and made sure that I was dressed to kill. Sooyun came over and did my makeup so that I looked perfect for him. I even made sure that I had spritzed myself in perfume.

I wasn't going to meet him in the hotel as that could draw attention. Instead, he organised for a car to pick me up and take me to the restaurant. I walked to the elevator in my heels, trying desperately not to fall over. I had my new Burberry Trench over my red dress and Sooyun had painted my nails red to match. After I had pressed the button and the elevator door opened, I was greeted by a sight that was both good and bad.

"Cheonsa!" Youngbae said as he saw me walk into the lift. _Oh no, anyone but you..._

"Hi, Youngbae," I replied, trying to mask my embarrassment of him seeing me all dressed up. It just reminded me of the incident in the club.

"Are you going out somewhere nice?" he asked me in his polite way. I didn't know what to say to him and I could feel the tension in the air between us. I could tell he was thinking of that moment when he took me by the hand and was about to lead me away back to his place. I shuddered thinking about it. _You're suppose to be on a date with Seunghyun not Youngbae..._

"Yes, I am actually," I replied trying to sound calm and collected but instead probably sounding flustered. He made me feel so strange.

The elevator doors shut and we began the awkward journey down to the foyer. It was the most cringe elevator ride of my life. _Don't think of how his lips might taste. Don't think of how handsome he is when he smiles. Don't think about what he might do grinding on top of you..._

I dug my nails hard into my sides.

"Anywhere nice?" he asked. I could see he was staring at me as I dug my nails into my side.

"A restaurant with Seunghyun," I replied. Hopefully by mentioning his name, it would quell any awkwardness and remind both me and him that anything between us was non-existant.

Youngbae looked at the floor nervously and scratched his head.

"I hope you both have a lovely time," he replied. _Are you kidding me?_ I almost felt guilty for going on a date with Seunghyun as Youngbae was clearly not happy about it.

"Thank you," I said as I prayed that the elevator door would open as quickly as possible. I began looking around frantically as the silence became uncomfortable. Luckily, the elevator bell dinged to signify that we were at the foyer.

"Enjoy your evening, Bae," I said to him as I hastily exited the elevator. I didn't even dare look him in the eyes. I rushed into the foyer and headed towards to the door, looking for the car that Seunghyun had sent for me. It probably wasn't the best idea to do in a dress and heels. I tripped over on myself and went flying onto the pavement, cutting my knee. It stung like a thousand hot knives digging into my skin.

"Are you ok?" asked a passing lady as she crouched down to help me. I looked up at her with tears of searing pain in my eyes, unsure of what to say.

"Let me help you!" came the voice of Youngbae as he ran over to where I was laying in a heap on the floor. In a fit of embarrassment, I swatted him away.

"Get off me! Leave me _alone,"_ I shouted to him. He looked at me as if he had been hurt himself.

"I was just trying to hel.." he began as he slowly backed off.

"Well you're making things worse," I snapped at him. He looked very offended. I felt like an absolute bitch shouting at him when he was just coming to my rescue but I didn't need him to rescue me: he wasn't my boyfriend.

The woman gave me a tissue to help me sort out my bleeding leg. Luckily, the door-man had seen what had happened and came over, asking if I was ok.

"Yes, I'm fine," I lied through gritted teeth. I wasn't fine. My knee hurt, I was worried that I was going to look like a mess for Seunghyun and to top it off, thoughts of Youngbae were screwing with my head.

I told the door-man that I was waiting for a car to pick me up. He directed me to a black Mercedes parked outside with tinted windows. I thanked him and scrambled in, brushing myself off in the back of the car and checking my reflection in the mirror. Luckily, I had held back the tears so they didn't spoil my makeup.

We arrived at the restaurant. It was the most expensive restaurant I had ever been to. The staff were immaculate and so were the patrons. Everyone looked so damn posh. I felt embarrassed to be there as I wasn't anything special. I walked in and gave the Maitre'd my name and told him I was here to meet Seunghyun.

"Ahhh, yes, please, this way," he said as he smiled and led me through the restaurant. Some people were eating, chinking their glasses in cheers and others were conversing. I looked at the dishes that were being served and panicked, thinking I wouldn't be able to each such obscure things, but that was the least of my worries. The Maitre'd led me into the far end of the room and down some steps into a little alcove. There were windows the spread the entirety of the room and they looked out onto Central Park. Fairy lights twinkled around the edge of the windows and lit up the view. Of course, in the middle was a table with a white table cloth and a handsome mat sat there. His face lit up as soon as he saw me and he immediately stood up to greet me. He said my name and air-kissed me. _Is this what it is like in Paris?!_ As he stood up, he clocked my cut knee and asked if I was alright. The Maitre'd pulled my chair out for me and I sat down. There was no need to ask for a drink because there was a bottle of Pommery Champagne chilling in the wine bucket next to the table. The Sommelier poured me a glass of the champagne and Seunghyun proposed a toast.

"To us," he said as he chinked my wine glass and sipped, not taking his eyes off me the entire time. It felt like the most special moment of my life.

He reached across the table and took my hand in his.

"I am so glad we are doing this," he said to me with a twinkle in his eye. "I haven't felt like this for a long time."

I wasn't sure how to repay the compliment. I felt the same about him too.

"Even though we've not been together very long, I feel happy with you. You accept my flaws and laugh with me not at me. You are understanding of my imperfections. I can only hope that you continue to enjoy spending time with me," he said. It was unusual of him to be so emotional: _this was the Villain after all._

"Thank you for inviting me," I replied nervously. "I love spending my time with you."

"You _love_ it?" he asked as he squeezed my hand.

"I love you," I replied. After a second, I realised what I had said and smacked my hand to my mouth in utter embarrassment. _You've only known him for what six months and you're telling him you love him? Girl what is wrong with you...._

He didn't say it back. Instead, he changed the conversation, asking me about my cut knee and then telling me about the video shoot. He began discussing what the plan was for the next day. I could feel my face going red with flush. _Why did I say that??!!??!!_ _Was it weird he was ignoring it?_

I knocked back the champagne and tried to ignore how ridiculous I had been. Luckily, I got so drunk that I stopped thinking about it. I remember nodding to his questions and staring at him like a doe-eyed silly girl. He told me about his childhood and his life in Korea. Interestingly, he began telling me about he had a different woman in each city they would tour in. It made me feel intensely jealous but I didn't say anything.

"I hope you can trust me," he said as he took my hand and brought it up to his lips, kissing it softly. "I know I was an idiot in the club but I'm past it. Do you forgive me?"

"Yes," I said before even thinking. Even though I had forgiven him, I certainly hadn't forgotten the incident.

"Good. I was wrong to do that."

"I was wrong to be talking to Youngbae," I said.

"I am glad that we can agree on that," he replied. _Hmmmm._

We carried on drinking the champagne and finally, he paid the bill and we left. The car picked us up outside of the restaurant and we were both too drunk to consider the situation with photographers otherwise I would have got a taxi back to the hotel. Luckily, when we pulled up at the hotel, Seunghyun told the driver to take us to the back entrance, where no one would be lurking.

I stumbled out of the car, almost collapsing onto the pavement _again._ He picked me up and slammed the door of the car, waving the driver off. As he pulled me up, I pushed him hard into the wall and began to kiss his neck passionately.

"Oh Seunghyun, you drive me crazy," I said as I kissed him. He began to moan softly.

"Let's take this upstairs," he said as he wrapped his arm around me. We both stumbled into the hotel completely unashamed and not the slightest bit worried if someone would see us.

That was one of our biggest mistakes...


	27. Chapter 27

The following day was the middle of the video shoot. Again, I pretended I was from the agency, helping Sooyun on the set with makeup and pretending I knew how to style. No one questioned me, they all just thought it was legitimate. My head was swimming with thoughts of the following evening. Seunghyun and I had a romantic dinner followed by glorious romance in his hotel room. It was one of the most perfect nights I had ever had. My knee was still sore from when I had fallen over myself outside the hotel. Luckily, I had managed to avoid Youngbae on set. I hadn't forgotten that I had snapped at him when he was only trying to help me.

Seunghyun caught me staring at him a few times and he kept giving me blank looks as if nothing had happened between us. I guessed he was maintaining his discreet persona. I didn't mind though because I knew how he was when people weren't watching.

The boys had a few scenes with the female models and Lauren was clearly loving it. She kept fawning over Seunghyun and directing her looks over towards Sooyun and I. This made me grow suspicious. _Why did she keep looking at me like that?_

When the shoot finally finished, management organised a sort-of after set drinks at one of the bars in downtown. I was sceptical about attending but Sooyun assured me that if I kept up the 'Sophie' persona, management wouldn't even question it. Besides, she said it would be a waste if I'd travelled all this way and to sulk alone in my hotel room.

We arrived at the bar separately: the boys with the management and the rest of the crew by themselves. As it was an unplanned event, there were no photographers or fans present, which was good because it made the atmosphere more relaxed. The bar was small, with exposed brick walls and leather bar stools and booth seating. I attached myself to Sooyun and some of the other set assistants, making sure I was careful not to make my relationship with Seunghyun known. He was sat with Daesung, Jiyong and a few of the camera operators.

After a while, Seungri came and sat down next to Sooyun and I.

"Hello ladies, how are you both?" he said, a drink in hand.

"Oh Ri, you are so drunk!" Sooyun laughed as she poked him in the shoulder. He was starting to slur his words.

"No I am not!" he protested as he pulled out his bottom lip into a sulky face.

"Maybe you should stop drinking?" I replied as I pointed at his empty glass.

"Maybe you should stop talking!" he retorted back. I had never seen him so drunk in my life.

"Steady on there," Sooyun said as she looked at me with concern. "I had better take this one back to Dae..."

She got up and went over to Seungri, putting her arms around him and guiding him over to Daesung, Jiyong and Seunghyun, leaving me sat alone in the booth. Just as she did, Lauren came waltzing over and plonked herself opposite to me. She put her elbows on the table and smiled at me sweetly.

"Hello darling," she said. There was something off about her tone.

"Lauren, how are you?" I replied trying to maintain my composure.

"I am excellent, and you _Sophie?"_

 _Shit. She knew I wasn't called Sophie, didn't she?_ I couldn't give anything away.

"I am well, just looking forwards to getting into bed soon. It is getting really late and I was actually thinking of going," I said as I began to get up, grabbing my bag and my coat which were besides me.

"SIT down," she said through her teeth. "We need to talk."

The blood rushed from my face and I could feel myself grow cold with fear. _Why did we need to talk?_

"Pardon?" I was trying to buy time.

She leant in closer to me and stared at me with her stabbing glare.

"I saw you last night."

I didn't say anything to her. The silence was deafening. I didn't know what to say so I tried to lie my way out of it. _Big mistake._

"I went out for dinner, it's no big deal."

She almost spat laughing at me.

"No big deal?! I saw you and Seunghyun _together._ You were very much together, actually." She brought out her phone and showed me a picture she had taken. It was Seunghyun and I in a very compromising position outside of the hotel at the back entrance. _Shit, shit, SHIT!_

I didn't say anything back; I couldn't. I was gobsmacked. I had no idea what to say to her.

"That's fine, you don't have to say anything because it's written all over your face," she said with thorns in her voice. She was truly a vicious person.

"What are you trying to prove?" I asked her in anger. "What do you want me to say? So what, it was a one night thing, he's allowed to have dalliances."

She laughed at me.

"Oh so you're calling it a dalliance? Sure."

"Lauren, I don't know what you're trying to prove but no-one is interested. It was a one night thing. Yes, it happened but that was it. He lives in Seoul and I live in New York. Nothing is going to come of this," I lied.

She was stumped by my response and looked at me with scrunched eyes.

"Interesting..." she began. I cut her off.

"Yes, yes it is interesting. And if you excuse me, I need to go because it's been a long day and I have got work to do tomorrow," I said as I got up and shot her a disapproving look. _How dare she try and dig up dirt_ _, tripping me up with her stupid photo._

As I turned my back to walk to her, I tried to catch Seunghyun's attention but he didn't see. I wasn't sure what to do. I couldn't walk up to him and tell him what had happened because Lauren would definitely be even more suspicious. So I just left. As I did, I caught Seungri's eye and he waved at me. I gave him a sad look and blew him a kiss. He knew there was something wrong. 

Walking in the cool air made me feel sober. I felt uneasy and upset by having to live life under the radar. All I wanted to do was to act normally and not have to hide my relationship with my boyfriend. I thought it was incredibly weird that YG never let the boys date. _Surely it wasn't that much of a problem?_ Sooyun said it was considered taboo for an idol to have a girlfriend, especially one who was a foreigner. I could feel tears welling up as I began pacing quicker to the hotel. I wondered if this had all been a mistake. I didn't belong in their world. Maybe it was better if Seunghyun had the chance to find someone who would be accepted in the idol world, or at least be accepted in Korea.

It took me over an hour, but I managed to walk back to the hotel and decided that I would pack my things and try to find a flight back to London. I wasn't even sure if I was going to go back to Seoul at this point. I would stay with my family and think things through. I looked over to my left to see the Empire State Building glowing in the dark, the lights contrasting again the heavy sky. It looked as if it were going to rain soon.

"CHE-ON-SA." I could hear the shouting and the people around me stopped to turn around. I turned around as well and saw Seunghyun sprinting down the avenue towards me, his coat billowing as he had ran. I had never seen him run before. People kept staring. He caught up to me and grabbed my face in his hands.

"She is a bullshit," he said, staring deeply into my eyes. "I don't care if she has pictures of us. Who cares. I don't need this anymore. I just need you."

I laughed at his anger muddling his choice of language and smiled at him through my sad eyes. He was certainly not holding back in public.

"She showed you?" I asked.

"Just after you left, she came over to us and showed us all the picture she had taken of you and I. I was so angry but I told her that I didn't care and I left. I made it clear she couldn't blackmail me."

"You left? What did everyone say?"

"Seungri was very drunk and caused a scene, saying that she had thrown a drink over him. Obviously he was just trying to help out. He chucked a drink over himself. Management weren't interested in her picture as they were trying to sort out Seungri being drunk. He was pretending to be angry and smashing glasses. It caused a good distraction. They were more worried about photographers seeing Lee Seunghyun's angry my outburst!"

I put my arms around him for comfort.

"They will find out at some point," I said as I buried my head in his shoulder feeling very unsettled.

"We will deal with it then, but for now let's just go back to the hotel and enjoy our evening. Let's watch some TV and cuddle?"

It was an apt suggestion as that was all I wanted to do with him. I could feel the walls slowly crumbling around us and Lauren had made me paranoid. She needed to be out of the picture and fast.


	28. Chapter 28

The final day of the video shoot arrived and most of the boys were certainly feeling tired from the hectic schedule. As a special treat, management had organised for the boys and crew to have a day doing tourist things the following day for their last moments of the trip. When Sooyun told me about this as we were touching up Jiyong's makeup, I sighed. _Great, another day by myself then._

"I'm sure it will be over quick," she reassured me. "Everyone is feeing tired so they won't want to be out exploring for long."

"I have got an appointment with Chanel in the afternoon anyway," Jiyong chimed in as we looked at each other in the mirror.

"I suppose I can do my own sightseeing," I said with a deflated smile. I was trying to sound happy that they were doing something nice but I couldn't help but come across as being ungrateful that I couldn't spend more time with Seunghyun. That was all I wanted to do. I was beginning to resent his life as an icon.

"Maybe you could surprise Seunghyun by appearing at one of the tourist bus stops?" Jiyong said with a cheeky grin. "We can convince him that he has an interview with one of the art galleries... he won't suspect a thing!"

I laughed at Jiyong. _He certainly wanted Seunghyun to be happy._

"Fine! If you insist," I said trying to be coy.

"Jiyongie, you are so thoughtful!" Sooyun said as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Excuse me what is going on here?" came the voice of Seunghyun as he casually walked over with his dark Raybans on. It wasn't sunny but he was wearing them to disguise his dark circles around his eyes. Daesung had even started called him 'Seungri' as a joke. I looked at him and smiled, professionally.

"Good morning, Seunghyun, how are you today? Please come and sit down as Sooyun and I will be styling you today."

"Where is Jae?" He replied abruptly. _Idiot. You're not supposed to raise questions!_

"Oh, she... she is with Youngbae..." Sooyun said. In fact, Jae was in on the act as Sooyun had to confide in her after Lauren was brandishing the picture of us on her phone during the drinks last night. Luckily, Jae was understanding and she let us look after this portion of the styling for the day.

"I'll just sit down here then," he said as he lit up a cigarette.

I immediately put my hand on his to stop him.

"No, Jagiya, there is hairspray here. It will burst into flame if you light up!"

Sooyun started coughing to cover up my mistake, giving me a panicked look. I didn't understand until I realised I had called him 'Jagiya' out loud. If there was one certain thing to give away the game, it would be that. Thinking quickly, Jiyong interrupted.

"No, Sophie, it is improper to call someone 'Jagiya' in Korea unless you are in a relationship with them. The right thing to say would be 'Oppa'."

I looked at him with thankful eyes.

"Oh I do apologise, how ignorant of me...". 

I could feel Seunghyun rolling his eyes behind his sunglasses.

In the reflection of the mirror, I could see Lauren and a few of the other model girls staring and giggling. Jiyong looked at them and scowled: they soon stopped. Sooyun did Seunghyun's hair and make up and I pretended to faff around with Jiyong so it looked as if I was doing something. We swapped and I took every advantage I could. I ran my hands through his hair slowly, down his neck and onto his chest pretending that I was sweeping off 'excess spray'. I could feel him tense as I ran my hands dangerously close to his waist. He flinched and I pulled back, knowing that I was edging on the verge of unprofessional. Walking to the front of him, I picked up some tweezers and pretended to pluck hairs from his brows. Our lips were so close and I was desperate to kiss him especially as I could smell his delicious aftershave.

"Mmm," he moaned quietly, his deep voice reverberating in my bones. I pulled away quickly as I know I could handle it when he did that. It was too sexy.

The video shoot was pretty uneventful as it was just shooting the final bit of the video where they were dancing together. It went smoothly and we had wrapped up by late afternoon.

The boys were given time to themselves for dinner. Seunghyun and I met up for pizza at a bar downtown, travelling there separately. It was unusual because he was wearing a peaked cap, sunglasses and a long dark coat despite it being 8pm. I guessed he didn't want to be seen. We had a good time talking and laughing. It felt so natural to be in his company. He was teaching me about Korean customs, including the special 100-day anniversary. _Erm I hadn't been keeping track of how many days we had been seeing each other..._

"Let's start from now then," he said as he took my hand gently. I smiled back at him and leant in to kiss him. His lips met mine and I swear the world stopped spinning for a few seconds.

"I am all yours," I replied as I pulled away. It was all so perfect. Especially as we were in public and he was extremely stand-offish about PDA.

After pizza, we caught the subway to 1 WTC and took the elevator to the 100th floor, gazing out onto the skyline. He stood behind me and held my waist as I soaked in the beautiful views. He began whispering into my ear.

"When we get back to Korea, I want you."

"Want me?" I whispered back.

"I want you, forever."

I rested my hands on his and squeezed them.

"I want you, forever, too."

* * *

The next day was our final day in New York. The boys and crew left for their sightseeing tour after breakfast. Jiyong had arranged for me to meet the tour bus outside the Guggenheim Museum and he hadn't told Seunghyun. I was really looking forwards to surprising him.

I stood outside near the bus station wearing my Burberry Trench and sunglasses: I didn't want him to see me. I nervously watched the traffic pass and my heart skipped a beat when I saw their tourist bus pull up. Anticipating our meeting, I took at deep breath and began to approach the door.

I saw him get out. He looked so handsome wearing a suit and loafers, although he hadn't got socks on again, and he has his hair styled in a quiff. He gave me butterflies as I saw him smiling. He had beautiful bone structure. As he got off the bus, he reached out his hand. _Oh right is Jiyong getting off here too...?_

Nope. It wasn't Ji. It was Lauren.

She was holding his hand and giggling. He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head, lovingly. I stopped in my tracks feeling as if my world had been pulled from under my feet. _What. The. Fuck._

I couldn't move. I watched them as they acted as if they had been a couple for years, giggling and holding hands. He was being so affectionate with her, stroking her back and she was blushing at him. _It's just for show. It's not real...._

I felt the anger welling up inside of me and I couldn't control it. My vision was red and my heart was black. Like a bull, I charged over to them and pushed her straight in the chest, causing her to almost fall over and knock into a passing businessman. There was a gasp from the passers by.

"How dare you," I roared at her.

She looked at me and pushed me back.

"You bitch! You pushed me!" she screamed.

Seunghyun tried to stand in the middle of us but she began pulling my hair, squealing like a banshee. I tried to claw her off but she dragged me onto the floor, yelling how disgusting I was for interrupting their date. _Date?!_

At this point, Youngbae had vaulted from the bus and tried to help Seunghyun pull us from each other. He grabbed onto me and yanked me from the floor and held me tightly. She had ripped my Burberry Trench and smashed the Raybans I was wearing: _his Raybans._

"Get. Inside." came a stern voice. It was Mr Lee the manager. He took me and Lauren by the wrist and dragged us into the museum. Youngbae and Seunghyun followed. I couldn't see their expressions but I had guessed they were fuming at us. Seunghyun wouldn't stand near either Lauren nor I.

Mr Lee pulled us into the quiet corner of the Guggenheim, away from prying eyes.

"What was THAT?! How DARE you both start a cat fight in the middle of New York. Do you understand this will be in the papers? It will ruin our reputation! They have a new video out and you just want to shit all over it with your k-drama. DISGUSTING. Lauren, you're fired from YG. I can't have you in the team anymore."

She choked on his words, staggering back and muttering.

"And YOU," he pointed at me. "White girl. You don't know anything about Korea and Korean men. Stay away from us. If I ever see you again, I will have you arrested for grievous bodily harm. You are disgusting." He spat at me, his vile phlegm staining my coat.

I was so shocked. I couldn't move. All I could do was feel hot tears dripping down my face.

"Get back in the bus, Youngbae and Seunghyun," he ordered to them. I looked, pleadingly at them but Seunghyun shook his head and walked away. Youngbae looked sad but he had to follow orders.

And with that, my life was officially over.


	29. Chapter 29

"What the hell, Hyung?" Youngbae shouted as he squared up to Seunghyun back on the bus. The atmosphere was tense. No one knew where to look. Even the joker Seungri felt like he didn't know what to say. 

"Stop!" ordered Mr Lee as he stepped in between Youngbae and Seunghyun, separating them with his hands.

Youngbae closed his eyes tightly, took a deep breath and moved away to sit near Seungri. He didn't say anything else.

"No one is to speak until we get back to the hotel. Dinner tonight will be in the hotel restaurant and we leave for our flight at 6am tomorrow morning. _No one_ is to leave the building. Does everyone understand?" Ordered Mr Lee. Youngbae felt his shoulders ache with tension. The ride back to the hotel was a miserable one and the whole trip had ended on a low. There were photographers waiting for them outside the hotel so they all had to plaster pretend smiles on their faces. It was an awful part of the job. 

The elevator ride to the rooms was just as awkward as the bus: no one spoke at all. 

Seunghyun furiously began swiping his keycard to his room, kicking the door and swearing when it wouldn't open. When it finally did, he thrust the door handle down and stormed in, slamming the door shut behind him. Powering over to the balcony, he swung the door open, which caused it to crash, and lit a cigarette. He put his head in his hands. _What had I done?_

_* * *_

Youngbae took it slowly and watched Seunghyun, Seungri and Jiyong enter their rooms. Daesung, who was fiddling and messing around with his door, took longer to go into his room so Youngbae pretended he needed to tie his shoelace before going into his room. Daesung laughed at him before saying that they would speak later. 

Looking around, Youngbae saw that everyone had gone into their rooms or were still downstairs sorting out departure arrangements for tomorrow. He went down to the stairs and began descending. Peering out of the door, he finally reached the floor he took a deep breath and approached the door, knocking twice. The tension was unbelievable as he waited. 

Suddenly, she opened the door. 

"Youngbae?" she said sounding shocked. 

He didn't say anything to her. Instead, he put his finger on her lips to quieten her. Her eyes were bright red from crying. He put his other hand on her shoulder and she thrust him away. Despite this, he advanced into her room and shut the door behind him. 

"Youngbae, why are you here?" she said frantically as she backed away and sat down on the bed. 

"Cheonsa, I... I don't know, I just..." he couldn't think of how to explain himself in English.

"I'm not coming back to Seoul," she replied as she burst into heavy sobs. He couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt about the situation. 

"Why?" he said as he went and sat down next to her. 

She couldn't reply as she was so upset. He turned around to face her and put his arms around her, holding her in a tight embrace. It took everything inside him not to kiss her and make everything better for her. He knew that would be a mistake: after all, this was his Hyung's girlfriend. It wouldn't be right for him to make a move on her right now. Youngbae was a gentleman and he didn't mess around like that. 

She grabbed tightly onto his muscly arm. Her touch sent electricity shooting down his spine and down into his crotch. _Not now..._

"I am sorry, Bae," she replied as she snuggled into his arm. "When I saw her with him, kissing and acting all _aegyo_ with him, I snapped. I couldn't take it anymore. She knew what she was doing. And he... and..." she burst into heavy sobs again. Youngbae held her tightly and shushed her. 

"He shouldn't have been so... so...," he tried to find the right words in English. 

"He has been an awful man. He made me so many promises. He said he wanted me forever. He lied."

Youngbae rolled his eyes. He honestly couldn't imagine Seunghyun ever being with anyone forever. Well, anyone except from himself. 

Just then, there was banging at the door. 

"CHEONSA," came the loud voice of Seunghyun. Both of them bolted upright and she used her sleeves to wipe the tears away from her face. Youngbae's eyes were wide. He was nervous Seunghyun would jump to conclusions if he knew that Youngbae was in her room. They weren't doing anything wrong, nothing was going on. Just because Youngbae wanted to kiss her didn't mean he actually did. _Seunghyun can go fuck himself if he thinks I am going to let her be treated like a dog._

She shushed him and gestured for him to stay still. Youngbae nodded his head in agreement and a froze: he didn't dare move. She approached the door.

"What do you want?" she said with a deflated tone.

"Let me in, we need to talk," Seunghyun said. He clearly wanted to explain something. Youngbae wasn't sure what else there was to explain. 

"No. Go away," she answered. 

"I have to tell you the truth," he declared. 

"The truth? It's probably all lies, Seunghyun."

He carried on banging at the door and she looked at Youngbae, tears welling up in her eyes again. He just wanted to hold her and make the pain go away. All he wanted to do was protect her and give her everything Seunghyun couldn't. 

"Cheonsa, _please._ I've never begged for anything in my life but if I have to get on my knees on the floor I will. Let me in. _Please."_ Youngbae had never heard Seunghyun sound so defeated. It was suspicious. 

She didn't answer him. Seunghyun was trying to gain entry by furiously trying to open the door handle. Youngbae could hear him cursing in Korean. 

"Go away," she shouted at him. "Stop trying to open the door or I will call the police."

There was another pause. 

"I need to speak to you. Please come and speak to me so I can explain?"

She didn't reply to him. Youngbae wondered what she would say. 

"I'll come back here in an hour. I will come back every hour until I can speak to you," Seunghyun carried on. He sounded frantic and Youngbae was confused by it all. He didn't know his Hyung could act like this. 

After a few moments, there was no sound from outside: Seunghyun had clearly left. She came and sat back on the bed and cried, resting her head on Youngbae's shoulder. 

"Will you speak to him?" Youngbae asked. Part of him hoped she would just so she could tell him that their relationship was over. He bit his lip thinking about her but suddenly shook his head. _How could he be so selfish?_

"I will have to. I need to know the truth," she replied. Youngbae wasn't sure how to react to this news. He put his arm around her, squeezing tight and got up. She looked at him, the sadness in her eyes matched his, and he left. Nothing in Youngbae's thoughts were making sense anymore and he decided he would go down to the bar to get drunk. He wanted to forget all the feelings he had for her. It was never going to happen. She was his Hyung's girl and it would be disrespectful for him to pursue her. 

* * * 

My head was swimming with all sorts of thoughts as Youngbae left. It was so thoughtful and sweet of him to come and see if I was okay. Even though it wasn't his drama to get involved in, it was almost as if Youngbae had come to the rescue. Part of me wanted him to just make it better, to kiss the pain away but I knew that was just me feeling down because of the situation with Seunghyun. _Urgh, that evil, conniving idiot: a true Villain._

What did he want to explain? The only explanation there possibly could be was that he was seeing Lauren behind my back. However, I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of thinking that he had defeated me. I wanted to see him and show him that I thought he was a disgusting cheat and that I was much better without him in my life. No wonder things hadn't worked out with him and Ri-na; he was probably screwing the rest of the YG workers behind her back. I shuddered just thinking about him, feeling an intense wave of anger wash over me followed by immense sadness. _I was falling in love with him and he responded by breaking my heart._


	30. Chapter 30

Exactly on the hour, the door banged again and my heart sunk. I knew it was him but I was unsure how the scene would play out. One thing I was certain of was that I needed to be strong when he did tell me it was over: well at least on the outside. No tears, no anger, nothing. Just accept it and move on. It was never going to work anyway. _Even though he was funny with his wit and dry humour._ He was a heartbreaker. _Even though we shared an interest in weird films and obscure art._ He would always have women after him. _Even though he would hold me close and make me feel like no-one else existed in this world but the two of us..._

I pinched my arm to make me stop thinking such a ridiculous things, took a deep breath and looked at myself in the mirror. I wasn't going to look like a defeated cabbage.

Upon opening the door, he stood there stony-faced. _Typical Villain; I can't read him._ I stared at him and didn't speak. He didn't say anything either. Instead I turned around, leaving the door open as a sort-of inviting gesture. He followed me inside, came and sat on the chair by the balcony and stared at me. I sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at his feet. I felt like he was striping me bare of everything I had told myself about being strong. I wanted to collapse into his arms and beg his forgiveness for causing drama. _No, he was in the wrong as well, don't be such a pushover._

"Cheonsa," he began as he bent forwards, linking his hands together in thought. "What happened earlier was a mess..."

"Mmhmm," I replied trying to maintain my composure.

"I need to explain the circumstances." He looked at me with his deep, dark eyes. Seunghyun had certainly piqued my interest but I had to pretend I wasn't bothered. I glanced at him sideways and pursed my lips.

"Mr Lee knows everything." 

My heart began to race at the thought and its consequences. 

"Lauren showed him the picture of us kissing from the other night. She told him that she was going to sell it to the press. The only way she would hand over the rights would be if YGE were to increase their promotion of her..." he stopped and rubbed his hands on his temple, looking confused.

_Yeah right. He is just covering up his mistakes..._

"I had no choice. If the press were to get the pictures, it would be a direct breech of my contract: my career would be over."

"How sad," I replied, giving him nothing. He was ripping me apart inside _. I couldn't be angry at this?_

"Trust me. I am telling the truth to you. It was all a set up to give her publicity. If she were seen to be dating me, her popularity would... increase."

"Mmm," I replied with the most sour tone.

"Jiyong was also given an ultimatum. Mr Lee made him ask you to the gallery. It was all a set up. I never meant to hurt you."

_Not once has he said sorry..._

I didn't reply to him. I sat staring at the floor with wide, glassed-over eyes, trying to take in everything that he was telling me. I felt hurt that Jiyong had been part of it all but hadn't warned me. 

_They don't owe you anything. You're just a plain, white girl with nothing to offer them and their icon lifestyle. You're not rich, you're not famous and you're not beautiful. Why would they cover for you? You're just caught up in the ridiculous lifestyle that chews you up and spits you out almost as the glamour of it quickly as it entices you in._

"Say something?" he asked in his dead-pan tone. 

Still staring at the floor, I began to open my mouth but no words would come out. I could feel the sharp, stinging sensation behind my eyes and tried to dig my nails into my side. _You promised yourself you wouldn't cry._ It was too late: the tears began to trickle down my face, pooling on my chin. I used my sleeve to wipe them away, sniffing delicately. He got up from the chair and crept over to the bed, kneeling down, putting his hands on my knees. They were cold. His face was close to mine but I still couldn't look him in the eyes. I think it frustrated him how unresponsive I was being. He enjoyed being in control and he didn't like it when he couldn't predict the situation. 

"Don't cry, Cheonsa," he whispered with a hint of compassion in his voice. He took his right index finger and wiped a tear away from my eyes. I pushed his hand away and turned my head. 

He sighed and I could tell he was becoming impatient because he began searching his pocket for cigarettes. He found the packet and put one in his mouth. 

"I am sorry that I have hurt you. I was going to tell you."

He got up and walked over to the balcony, lighting his cigarette as he slid open the door to smoke outside. I was still feeling angry with him and seeing him walk away so casually just ignited the fire in my heart even more. Bolting up, I rushed outside to him and grabbed him.

"Do you honestly think I am going to buy that excuse? You think that because you're an idol you can bloody well do as you please? Have a different woman in each city? Well no, that's not going to happen. You can stuff your bloody apology because I don't accept it." I let him go and turned, pacing to the other end of the balcony, continuing to mutter to myself. "It's all so bloody convenient, Seunghyun. You've always got an excuse for everything. When is this going to stop with you? You're such a playboy, you can not help yourself. Just admit that you're not into being in a relationship. Stop dragging me round and round in circles, promising me that you _want me forever_ when you just can't wait to stick your cock into something else with a bloody heartbeat. You're sad. You're lonely...."

Instantly he grabbed me by the wrists, holding tightly. I looked at him dead in the eyes. He looked intense and a wave of sadness washed over me. 

"Shut up," he said to me, his face close to mine. "Shut up. I don't care about anyone else."

"Ha! More classic one-liners from the best rapper in K-Pop! Let me find you a notebook to write these down. You can use them in one of your _fucking_ songs," I spat back at him, struggling to free my wrists from his grasp. 

"It was a set up. You need to _believe_ me, " he replied, clenching his jaw as he spoke. 

"I don't believe a bloody word you say, you're a cheat."

He pulled me close to him and I could hear his heart beating frantically in his chest. He smelt of Acqua di Parma cologne and cigarette smoke. Even if I wanted to escape, I couldn't because he was holding me so tightly, one arm around my neck and the other around my waist. I felt all my tension melt away and I couldn't stop myself. I tilted my head up to him and he responded, bringing his head down so his lips met mine. In a clash of anger, hatred and passion, we kissed and it felt like the embers of our relationship had reignited. Salty tears were mixing in with his sweet kisses. My hands wandered to his hips and around to rest on his butt, squeezing. His one hand was in my hair, pulling me closer to him and his other hand was on my hips, guiding me into him. I could feel his hard cock throbbing against my waist. 

"No, stop it," I uttered weakly as I pulled back from him. _Such a weak attempt._ He anchored me in and peppered kisses down my neck and onto my chest. 

"I never meant for you to be hurt," he uttered in-between kisses. It felt so good. I pulled away from him, unable to control my crying. 

"You've really hurt me," I said as I turned away from him, leaning on the balcony. I looked down onto the street below, the yellow taxi-cabs seemed like petals falling away in the breeze. He walked over to me and handed me a cigarette and lighting it up as I put it between my lips. 

"I know and I am sorry." He paused and put his hand on mine as I looked out to the city. "But there is one more thing I need to tell you."

I looked at him and scowled. 

"What?"

He took a deep drag on his cigarette, swirling the smoke around in his mouth and exhaled it.

"Yang Hyungsuk, he knows."

_Oh fuck._

"Mr Lee told him. It gets more complicated. YG has said that Lauren must not be fired otherwise the picture would leak. We have a meeting with him after we land."

" _We?"_ I asked, peering at him quizzically. 

"He specifically asked for you."

The nicotine had gone to my head and I was feeling dizzy. 

"Why me?"

"He wants to work out a deal."

"A deal? Leave Korea and we won't arrest you for sleeping with our precious bloody TOP" I replied as I rolled my eyes at him sarcastically. I had never called him TOP before: it felt odd. 

"No. I don't know what he wants but I think it might work in your favour."

"In my favour? Nothing in this situation is going to work out for me. For you? You'll be fine. You will have the pick of women in music videos and at parties."

Gently, he grabbed my chin with his free hand and turned my head towards him. 

"I'm not going to say this again: I don't want anyone else. I want you. I want you forever."

And with that, it was as if none of this stupid drama had ever happened. I completely trusted him and his explanation of the events that had happened. He stayed with me that evening and it was like nothing had even gone wrong. I wondered when our relationship would ever be normal and boring. Would it ever be normal and boring?


	31. Chapter 31

The flight home was incredibly strange. 14 hours of my head spinning, constantly thinking about what would happen when we got to Seoul. _Why did YG want to see me?_ It would go one of two ways, good or bad, and I was almost sure that it would be the latter. Thoughts raced through my head and I tried to picture the scenarios. I gathered that YG would be incredibly annoyed with me. He would probably want me to pack my bags and leave South Korea forever. 

I had to keep my distance from the boys and their entourage. I hadn't even got the chance to speak to Sooyun about it all. I didn't even get to confront Jiyong about his trap either. After we had landed, it took me forever to get through Passport Control. I imagined that Seunghyun had already been processed because he was a citizen. I checked my phone to see that he had messaged me. 

_I hope you are feeling well. Get a cab to YGE (Mapo-gu). Report to the front desk. Tell them you have a meeting with YG. They are expecting you._

Grasping my luggage tightly, I headed to the exit to catch a cab to the YGE building in Mapo-gu. I was feeling very nervous indeed and very jet-lagged. I didn't know if I could even stand up for myself in the state that I was in. As I got into the back of a taxi, I took out my makeup bag from my luggage and tried to touch-up my face. I didn't want Yang Hyunsuk to think I was a bedraggled mess. 

We pulled up outside of the building and I took a deep breath, taking in the huge architecture and almost feeling out of my depth. _You can do it, YG is just a man and he doesn't control you._

Walking up to the main reception desk, I looked at all of the employees who were frantically rushing around. Some of the workers noticed me and stared at me, wondering who this strange foreigner was in the their foyer dragging luggage with them. 

"Annyeonghaseyo!" chimed the lady behind the reception desk as she smiled at me. She was impeccably dressed and her smile was bright. I forced a tired smile at her, trying to hide the fact I was incredibly tired and groggy. 

"Annyeonhaseyo," I replied, "I am here to see Yang Hyunsuk?" I was timid when I spoke his name. The lady looked at me and held a dainty finger in the air as she stood up and walked over to her colleague at the back of the desk. They chattered and looked at me, making it obvious they were saying something about me. I averted my eyes and studied the huge foyer. There were pictures of all of the YG artists adorning the walls. I spotted The Villain and it ignited something inside me. I thought of his soft lips and his chiseled jaw. 

"Hello, Miss. Yes, you may go straight up. It is the top floor," she said as she came over and smiled at me. She pointed towards the elevator. I thanked her and pulled my suitcase behind me. I pressed the elevator button and when it arrived, I clambered in making a noise as my suitcase banged up the doors. I felt clumsy and a few of the employees gawped at me. I stood out and not in a good way. The elevator climbed quickly up to the top floor and as it opened, I was faced with a beautiful hallway adorned with golden vases, pretty flowers and white couches. There was a reception desk at the end of the hall and the lady behind it suddenly sat up as she saw the elevator doors open. I looked up at her and she smile. I dragged my suitcase towards the desk but as I did, he got up from one of the white couches and came to me. 

"Cheonsa," he said with a sneaky smile that made me melt. I couldn't help but smile when I saw him. He was so gorgeous. I looked at him, trying not to smile back but failing. Even though a lot had happened in New York, I still wasn't sure wether it was appropriate for me to respond to him in an affectionate way. 

"Seunghyun?" I replied very quietly so the receptionist wouldn't hear me. It probably was pointless thought because she could have heard a pin drop it was so silent in the hallway. He took the handle of my suitcase and began to wheel it towards one of the sofas. 

"Sit down," he said calmly as he beckoned me to sit next to him on the couch. I raised my eyebrow to him, unsure why he was being so relaxed. I sat down next to him. He turned his body towards me, knees next to mine. 

"What is going on?" I asked him quietly. 

"I can't tell you here," he said as he brushed his hand against my knee. Again, he smiled and it made me feel uneasy. _Was he trying to be nice and prepare me for the roasting YG was about to give me?_

"Great," I replied. I was sat bolt up-right, my eyes flitting nervously between the receptionist, the doors in the hallway and Seunghyun. 

"Calm down," he said to me as he winked. He grabbed his phone out of his pocket and began messaging someone. I looked over but he typed so quickly in Hangul that I couldn't read what he was saying.

"Ah! Choi Seunghyun-ssi!" came the deep voice from right corner door. I recognised it automatically as the voice of Yang Hyunsuk. Immediately, my eyes darted to him. He must have wondered why such an idiot was sitting on his sofa, gawping at him as if he had just announced the world had ended. 

YG walked out of his office and Seunghyun stood up, bowing to him. I wasn't sure what to do. _Do women bow to men? I'm a foreigner, should I bow? He is saying my name... oh my gosh how do I reply?_

"Annyeonghaseyo," I tried to say as cooly as possible.

"Let's talk in English," YG replied. Surprisingly, his tone wasn't angry at all. "Please, come this way."

I went to drag my suitcase with me but Seunghyun stopped me, placing his hand on mine to suggest I should leave it. The receptionist behind the desk stood up and bowed to him. _Was she going to take it somewhere?_ I followed Seunghyun into YG's office and sat down in one of the black leather chairs that was placed opposite the Big Boss's desk. Crossing my legs nervously, I looked around at the gold discs and other artist paraphernalia that decorated his office. I wasn't sure what was going to happen in the following half an hour but the atmosphere was incredibly strange. 

"I am aware of the situation in New York," YG began as he sat in his chair and sipped some water from a bottle. "Woo Lauren has shown me the picture and of course, we don't want that to get out."

Seunghyun 'hmm-ed' in agreeance: I turned and looked at him in shock. 

"So," began YG as he knitted his hands together. "This must stop."

My heart sank. I knew what was about to happen. 

"This must stop, publicly. I do not care what you do privately, Seunghyun, but fans simply cannot see you with a girlfriend... especially a _foreign_ girlfriend. So we need a plan."

I looked at Seunghyun and then back at YG. 

"A plan?" I asked, looking confused. 

"Yes," YG replied as he looked at me with understanding eyes. I hadn't realised how calm he was until this meeting. The other time I had met him he was an absolute dragon. "The pictures will not leak because I've had to bow down to Lauren's request. However, we need to go through some basic rules if you want to continue your relationship under Seunghyun's employment. Seunghyun has been very clear in his refusal to cut ties with you, so we must come to a mutual understanding. All I ask is that you do not conduct your relationship in public. If you must go out together, there will be no displays of affection. You are permitted to accompany Seunghyun under the guise of a YG employee. I have created a position for you: Global Brand Ambassador to YG Entertainment. This way, you will be able to attend any events that Seunghyun has, including overseas tours but this is purely in a professional scope. You are not to make your relationship obvious to anyone who is not employed at YG. Do you both understand?"

I hardly knew what to say to him. Had he just completely dismissed what had happened in New York and given us his 'blessing' to continue our relationship in secret?

"Yes, Yang Hyunsuk-shi, Hyungnim," Seunghyun replied with grateful tones. 

"Yes, Sir," I said as I sort-of bowed as I sat down. _Cringe._

"Good. But if this gets out into the public then we will be back here and it won't be a good meeting." He turned in his swivel chair and looked out of the window at the vast landscape of Seoul. "Now, you've just come from a long flight so I suggest you both go home and rest. You have a YGE pass at the desk, Tan Layla will give it to you as you exit." _A YGE pass? Is this some sort of corporate arrangement?_

We both got up and bowed to Yang Hyunsuk and left the room. Seunghyun didn't look at me until we had left the room. We approached the receptionist, who had stored my suitcase under her desk, and Seunghyun wheeled it away. They spoke in Korean. She passed him a lanyard with a badge. It said "Global Brand Ambassador" on it. He gave it to me and I put it around my neck. He almost laughed at me wearing it and I glared at him. 

"A driver is waiting for you. He will take you home," he said to me trying to maintain his professional attitude. It wan't working very well.

"Gamsahabnida," I said to her as I smiled. We walked to the elevator and waited for the doors to open. After we had walked into the elevator and the doors closed, he looked at me and wrapped his arms around me, planting a soft kiss on my lips. 

"Are you happy?" he asked me, smiling. 

"What on earth just happened?" I asked him in complete shock. 

"Yang Hyunsuk hasn't fired me or deported you. I think this calls for a celebration?"

I smiled at him and kissed him gently out of tiredness. 

"Did you argue with him for me?"

He didn't reply. _He must have done..._

"Your place or mine?" I joked with him.

"Mine, see you there" he said.

He released me from his embrace as the doors opened out onto the foyer and we stepped into the public sphere as if nothing had ever happened. We went our separate ways. He faced photographers and fans screaming, and I got into the waiting car as if I was the most unimportant person in the world. I didn't feel unimportant however. I felt like he had fought for me for once and stood up to his boss. Maybe this relationship wouldn't fail after all.


	32. Chapter 32

Thanking the driver who had taken me from the YGE complex to Seunghyun's building, I hopped out onto the busy street. Expecting him to pop the trunk so I could grab my luggage, I was shocked when the driver got out and fetched my bags for me. Staring up into the starry sky, I smiled and felt as sense of happiness. _Everything was beginning to work out._ Tugging my suitcase towards his apartment building, I walked inside and greeted the security guard at the desk.

"Anny..." I began to utter until I was interrupted.

"Good evening, Sophie-ssi," the security guard replied as he smile softly at me. _Oh my god, is he in on this game as well?_ I almost laughed in his face when I realised that Seunghyun had probably told him that I was 'Sophie' the 'Global Brand Ambassador' from YGE. _If he only knew!_

"Good evening, I'm on my way to meet with Choi Seunghyun," I tried to say in a professional manner. I showed him my YGE badge as if it were something to be proud of.

He told me to go straight up as he buzzed the elevator for me. This was an extremely posh apartment complex. _I wonder how much the rent was._ _.._

During the ride in the elevator I couldn't stop yawning. I didn't know what Seunghyun had got planned for the evening but I hope that sleep was on the agenda. Knocking softly on his door, he opened it and invited me in. He helped my with my suitcase, dragging it into the main living room. I stood and gawped at the awesome view of the city in front of me: it really was beautiful. He came and stood behind me, wrapping his hands around my waist and buried his head in my shoulder.

"Global Brand Ambassador?" I laughed. He rested his chin on my shoulder, causing him to stand at an awkward angle because he was so tall.

"That wasn't my idea, it was Yang Hyunsuk's. He suggest it."

"I was terrified he'd have me deported. Instead, he's got me working for free for his company?! Korea is a strange country."

"I told him that I was only willing to work for him if he accepted that we were privately dating."

I rested my hands on his as he held me, tilting my head to the right so that I could look at him in the eyes. His stare was deep and I began to get lost in his gaze.

"I would never give my boss orders," I boasted playfully.

"That's the difference between us, Cheonsa. Besides, like I told you in New York: I want you forever."

It made me dizzy just hearing those words. _Forever._ I leaned into him and kissed him softly. I was almost unsure how he had come to the 'forever' conclusion as we hadn't even known each other for a whole year. But it was extremely flattering and I will be honest, I felt the same way too. _Sometimes feelings get in the way of logic._ Gently, he turned me around and pulled me closer into him. As we embraced, I felt a happiness I had not felt before. As the kiss ended, I put my hands on his shoulders, looking at him through tired eyes.

"Seunghyun, I'm so sleepy. Can we go to bed?"

He squeezed my butt, almost laughing as he did so.

"Cheonsa, it's been a very long day and you want to play dirty?"

"Erm, no, I meant for actual sleep," I said as I hit him playfully. He put his arm around my neck and kissed my forehead.

"I'll get us a drink of water, you go and climb into bed. The maid has put fresh sheets on."

Smiling at him, I walked over to my suitcase and wheeled it to his bedroom. It was warm, cosy and smelt of lavender despite the white furnishings suggesting it was cold and sterile. I opened my suitcase on the floor and riffled through my clothes, throwing them out and onto the floor around me as I looked for a clean pair of pyjamas. He walked in and stopped, holding two glasses of water.

"You are making a mess," he said to me in his dead-pan way.

"That's why you love me," I looked up at him and cheekily smiled. Upon realising what I had said, I immediately put my hand to my mouth. He put the glasses of water down on the table by the bed and walked over to me, bending over and picking up my clothes that I had messily strewn over the floor.

"If you fold them, they won't take up much room in your case. Did you just stuff them all in?"

"Erm... yes?"

"I can't believe how messy you are..."

"Sorry, we can't all be pristine perfectionists like you, Seunghyun..." I joked with him.

I finally found some pyjamas and my toothbrush. He followed me into the bathroom and stood next to me as I brushed my teeth. He was never normally this close to me and it almost felt like we were having a sleepover. I splashed him with the running water, expecting him to sternly chastise me for it in his Villain ways but he flicked me on the nose. I spat the toothpaste into the sink and wiped my mouth with the soft, fluffy white towel hanging on the rack. I was aware of his stare as I undressed before I got into the shower. I walked over to the shower and turned on the water, running my hands through it until I felt it was hot enough. Before I had even stepped foot into the shower cubicle, his hands were on me, across my arms, my legs and finally caressing my face. I responded by putting my hands all over him, unbuttoning his shirt and unzipping his trousers. In-between, I could hear his deep moans as he muttered my name. He linked his fingers in mine and led me into the giant shower. The water was hot on my delicate skin but I didn't care. He lifted my leg onto his hips so I could straddle him. I really hadn't planned on having sex with him in the shower, especially as we were both so jet-lagged, but it sort of just happened. I threw my head back as he entered me: this was the pleasure I had needed so badly. He rubbed his palm against my hard nipples and I screamed his name with pure ecstasy. As he began slowly grinding, I rolled my hips with his to meet his rhythm, my hands all over his back almost scratching at his skin. The water was getting in my hair, in my eyes but I didn't care. All I wanted was him. I was so hungry for him. With his dominant hand, he lifted my chin so that my eyes met his.

"I want you, forever," he said sweetly. In response, I smothered him in kisses, revelling from the pleasure of making love to him. As he finished, he grasped me tightly, his hot breath tickling my neck. He kissed my forehead and we both showered, properly this time.

As I climbed into his huge bed, I wrapped the white quilt around me and fell asleep as my head hit the pillow. We didn't set an alarm for the morning because we knew we would both need to sleep as long as we could. I slept beautifully next to my handsome prince and when I awoke, the next afternoon, I couldn't have felt more like his princess.

"Good afternoon," he said as he lay next to me, his bare chest peeking through the opening in his silk pyjamas. He was wearing his glasses and was reading a newspaper next to me. I could smell the rich aroma of coffee as I stretched my arms and squinted at the glowing sunlight streaming through the huge windows. I flinched, realising that I wasn't wearing any makeup and probably looked dire.

"I've made fresh coffee, can I fetch you a cup?" he asked as he put the paper down in his lap. _Since when did people read newspapers anymore?_

"Coffee? Yes. Please?" I replied with a croak, my voice still sleepy. I couldn't believe that he was seeing me like this, morning breath and no makeup. As he got up, looking like the snack he was, I dived into the bathroom to brush my teeth and put the most basic makeup on. I knew I was definitely being silly by doing this but I wanted him to find me attractive and not disgusting. He appeared the bathroom door and I saw him reflected in the mirror.

"You don't need to put that makeup on." I turned and looked at him. "You're beautiful without it."

He turned and walked away from me.

_Beautiful without makeup. Was he blind?_

After sorting myself out, I went and joined him in the kitchen. He was pouring the coffee into a white mug. _Why did everything need to be white?!_ I leaned on the kitchen counter and he passed me the mug of coffee. I held it in both hands and sipped it cautiously, being careful not to burn myself on the hot liquid. He came and stood next to me, leaning against the counter.

"I hope you don't mind, but today I think we need to rest."

"I was hoping you'd say that," I replied, taking a drink. His coffee was delicious.

_Shit. Coffee. My job at the coffee shop. I was supposed to be back tomorrow!_

"Good. Because you're back at work tomorrow and so am I," he said. _Was he reading my mind?_ "I was thinking we could watch some Kubrick films and order takeout?"

It sounded like the perfect plan.


	33. Chapter 33

In a way, it felt good to be back in the coffee shop and back to my normal routine. Even though I still felt slightly out of sync with the world due to the onerous jet lag, it was refreshing to have some sort of structure to my day. Mr Rin was sat in his usual seat, drawing away and Ban Yu-mi fluttered around, tidying up after the customers.

"Something has changed with you," she said to me curiously as she cleared away some mugs and plates. I looked at her, trying to hide my growing smile as I thought of Seunghyun.

"No, nothing," I replied. I was mindful that she was friends with his mother: now that was someone we definitely didn't want to find out about us.

"I hope you had a good time in New York, it seems such a long way to travel for a music video?" she questioned.

"It's just part of their job, I suppose." I paused, thinking about the new role Yang Hyunsuk had given me. It was great that he had bestowed the title upon me which allowed me to accompany Seunghyun to concerts and other parts of his schedule but I didn't think of how this would affect my job at the coffee shop. I knew I had to tell Ban Yu-mi about it. "Listen, Haleomi, I need to ask you something..."

"Yes, dear?"

"Well... I have been offered another job, well it's not a _paid_ job. It's more of an internship position but it's actually with Choi Seunghyun for his band." I winced in anticipation of her reaction.

"That sounds nice," she replied as she swept around the table. I wasn't sure she was listening properly.

"Yes, it is nice. But there will be occasions when I need to go away, go overseas. Is it possible I could do this?"

Ban Yu-mi stopped what she was doing and looked at me with her kindly eyes.

"You're asking if you can take extended leave in the future?"

"Yes," I spoke softly, trying not to push my luck. Even though my boyfriend wasn't short of money, I still wanted to pay my own bills and be independent.

"You know, his mother is aware that he is seeing someone?"

I almost choked on her sentence. It sent a wave of shock through my system as I stood upright and glanced at Ban Yu-mi.

"Pardon?" I asked her as I began to flush bright red. I picked up some coffee mugs and pretended to make some coffee.

"You don't need to pretend to make coffee, I am aware there are no customers for you to make coffee for." She paused. "Seunghyun's mother knows that he is seeing someone. Have you been introduced to her?"

"No. Definitely not!" _Why would he introduce me to her yet?!_

"Fine with me but if he is telling his mother about you, then things have obviously changed haven't they, Cheonsa?"

_How does she know he is telling his mother about me? Hmmmm..._

I began to play with my hair, feeling uneasy at being exposed by Ban Yu-mi. _Was he telling his mother about us? Surely not._ No-one was supposed to know about our relationship and I felt like I was betraying YG's trust by confiding in Ban Yu-mi. However, she was good to me and I did trust her. _Who would she tell anyway?_

"Yes. Things have changed. Seunghyun and I are seeing each other. It is early days. His boss knows about us, despite the strict contract he has signed and that is why I have this new position at YGE. It will serve as a cover if the press find out about us. No one must know so please keep this a secret!"

She put her hand to her chin and pursed her lips in thought.

"This could be the making of you," she replied. "If this is what your heart wants, then I will be happy to grant you extended leave when you need it. Of course it will be unpaid, but I'm sure you understand that?"

"Yes, yes I do," I said back feeling happy that she'd even agreed to the idea.

After spending the afternoon cleaning up and preparing coffees for customers, it was time for me to go home. I thanked Ban Yu-mi for being so understanding and left the shop, putting on my thick coat and the Gucci scarf that he had bought me in New York. It was a cold night and it had grown dark very quickly. As I approached the train station, I noticed his eyes staring at me. Even though he was wearing a black face mask, I could tell it was him. _What on earth was he doing loitering at the train station for?!_ _Surely that was a risky move for a celebrity._ I walked up to him and grabbed him by the arm.

"What on earth are you doing?!" I questioned him with wide eyes. "You'll get us both into trouble."

"Put this on," he said as he thrust a black face mask into my hands. I looked at him and raised my eyebrows. I though it was an unusual custom that face-masks were worn often in Korea: it wasn't something that was practised where I was from.

"Are we going somewhere?" I asked him.

"Yes. We're going to your apartment so you can get changed and then we are meeting Jiyong for dinner. He wanted to clear the air with you after the incident in New York."

"Oh, right, nothing special then?" I joked. Even though I was feeling tired, I was quite pleased to be meeting Jiyong and discussing the incident with him as I didn't want him to feel awkward about what had happened.

"Yes, it is special. It is a private club where we won't be bothered by the press."

Clearly he didn't understand my sarcasm. I didn't wan to embarrass him and bring it up.

Conscious that we were in public, I donned my face mask and followed him as we moved away from the station and into his waiting car. It was unusual to be driven to my own apartment but I certainly preferred it to getting the train.

When we got to my apartment, he waited in the car for me as he didn't want to risk getting out and being seeing walking together to my place. I went in and got changed from my work uniform and into something more appropriate for the restaurant: a tight black dress. I put my Burberry Trench coat on, but upon remembering that Lauren had ripped it in New York, I took it off and put on my trusty leather jacket. Make up touched up and hair brushed, I grabbed my keys and headed out of the door.

Seunghyun took me through the back entrance to the restaurant where there were no photographers. In a risky move, he grabbed my hand and led me through the tables and chairs, and up the stairs to the private dining room.

"Ah, Seunghyun-ssi!" Jiyong cried as he got up from the table. He wasn't alone, in fact everyone was there including Sooyun who was sat next to Daesung looking sheepish. She got up from the table and scurried over to me and wrapped her arms around me.

"I'm so sorry, are you?" Her hug was almost _too_ tight.

"Sooyun, honestly, it is fine!" I said as I tried to pry her from me.

"I didn't realise Lauren would be such a bitch about it," she said as she looked as if she was going to burst into tears. I told her about the meeting with YG and his job offer.

"Oh my! Does this mean you will be able to come to Japan next month?!"

"I suppose so!" I replied, almost becoming giddy with the idea of going on a tour with them.

We carried on talking and Seunghun came and sat next to me, putting his hand on my thigh. I flinched and looked at him disapprovingly.

"It's fine, no one here is going to say anything," he urged as he leant in and kissed me. I could feel the eyes of everyone in the room staring at us. It was unusual for Seunghyun to be so blatant in public but I guessed he was relieved to be able to show affection towards me in front of his close friends.

"Stop!" shouted Seungri as he threw a napkin at us. "Just because YG approves, doesn't mean we do!"

The napkin hit us in the face and Seunghun pulled away from the kiss, throwing the napkin back at the maknae. I glanced at Seungri but instead, my eyes locked with Youngbae who initially saw me and immediately turned away. My heart sunk. _Not this again._ I wondered if I should speak to Youngbae to tell him that nothing was going to happen between us but I realised I was probably being stupid. The silly chemistry I felt with him was nothing and I was just making things up.

"Are you ok?" Seunghyun asked me as he noticed that I was staring off into space. I shook my head.

"Yes, fine, nothing, it's ok," I replied as I tried to cover the fact that I was thinking about Youngbae.

"Look, you don't need to be nervous. We can trust everyone here," he reassured me as he kissed my forehead. I closed my eyes in response, feeling comfort in his words.

As the night progressed, we ate lots of delicious food including things that I couldn't even pronounce. Everyone drank copious amounts of alcohol and the atmosphere was cheery and relaxed.

Jiyong came and sat down next to me, putting his arms around me. He was clearly very drunk.

"Cheonsa," he began as he drew his eyelids down, "I hope you are not mad at me for the art gallery stunt I pulled."

"Honestly, Jiyongie, it is ok. I understand."

"I felt so bad because I know how much Seunghyun loves you. He really does. So please don't be cross with him."

"He loves me does he?" I joked with him. Jiyong's eyes darted from me to Seunghyun and back again.

"I mean, he hasn't _said_ he loves you but..." He was starting to dig himself a hole.

"Shhh, it's fine," I said as I gave Jiyong a cuddle. I knew he extremely drunk and didn't want him to think too much about it.

"What are you two talking about?" Seunghyun said as he came over towards us with drinks.

"Nothing at all," Jiyong replied trying to sound suave but making it blindingly obvious we were talking about him.

"Is Ji trying to steal you away from me?"

"Aish! Definitely not, Hyung!" Jiyong said as he embraced Seunghyun. I watched them and smiled, thinking how nice it was to see them happy. They weren't this happy in New York with the managers constantly watching over them. They both began talking and I felt like the awkward third wheel so I retreated to the shadows and sat down at the table.

"Hey, are you well?" asked Youngbae as I sat down. _Oh gosh, don't jump to conclusions, he is just making polite conversation..._

"Youngbae, hey, yes I am well. How are you?"

Every time I spoke to him, I felt so awkward and it felt so wrong. I dug my nails into my thighs and looked over at Seunghyun to remind myself of how wonderful he was and how lucky I was to have him.

"I'm well," he replied he looked at the table. He looked remarkably muscly in his tank top, showing off his rounded shoulders. His hair was beginning to grow back yet it had been shaved into an undercut. I couldn't deny he was looking incredibly handsome...

"I'm sorry that Seunghyun dragged you into this drama-filled life," he said as he played with one of the glasses on the table.

"I chose to be dragged in," I replied trying to sound clever.

"You aren't good at making choices, are you?" he asked. _What on earth is he implying?_

I didn't reply. Instead, I just stared at him across the table, almost frowning at him as I tried to read his thoughts. He bit his lip and I turned away instantly. I knew what he was doing, he was trying to make me think of him as more than a friend. I stood up and walked away, instantly realising that what he was doing was wrong and I went over to Seunghyun.

"I'm leaving," I said as I looked at him with desperate eyes.

"Why? What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm just tired," I lied. It wasn't because I was tired: it was because Youngbae was making things awkward. God knows what would happen if Seunghyun found out.


	34. Chapter 34

A few weeks had passed since I had seen Youngbae at the restaurant. If I am completely honest, I couldn't stop thinking about what he had said to me. His soft voice echoed in my mind.

_You aren't not good at making choices, are you...._

What did he mean by that? Was he implying that I was making the wrong decision by choosing Seunghyun over him? I couldn't fathom this man out. He was so thoughtful and gentle when the incident with Lauren happened yet now he was being cryptic. I decided that I had to be the adult in the situation and ignore what he had said to me. It wouldn't be fair on Seunghyun to start digging up things with one of his closest friends.

I had been spending a lot of my time working at the coffee shop because Seunghyun had asked me if I wanted to accompany them on their mini tour in Japan. With my new, albeit fake, role as 'Global Brand Ambassador' at YGE, I knew that I could go with the boys without anyone questioning why I was there. If I wore my YGE lanyard, the press would not need to invent stories of "TOP and his new girlfriend spotted getting cosy on the streets of Yokohama." Instead it would be "TOP spotted with YGE ambassador working on new music". _Much better_.

I did feel guilty that I was leaving Ban Yu-mi in the lurch by leaving for two weeks but she was understanding; assuring me she could cope. She kept asking me if I had met Seunghyun's mother, something which I definitely didn't want to do. Part of me wondered if Ban Yu-mi had been slipping her information about me. Seunghyun was insistent that he hadn't told his family about me. After all, I had heard from Seungri that they were traditional and I was certainly not remotely traditional in the Korean sense.

It was near the end of October. The nights were drawing in; it began to get dark around 3pm and the bitter wind blew crisp brown leaves around the streets, which were becoming increasingly emptier as the days dragged on. The coffee shop was empty and even Mr Rin wasn't there to enjoy his daily cup of coffee. I rested my elbows on the counter and fiddled around in my apron pocket for my phone because I was bored. Ban Yu-mi was in the back office ordering supplies. I grabbed my phone and noticed I had a message.

_Jiyongie: Is it busy at work? Can I swing by? xxo_

_Me: No. It's empty. I look forwards to seeing you! x_

After replying to him, I put my phone away and began making him a cinnamon latte because I knew it was his favourite. It wasn't long until Jiyong arrived at the coffee shop wearing the most outrageous outfit I had seen. I was actually surprised he wasn't noticed by the public because he definitely looked like a superstar idol as he walked in with a khaki bomber jacket that was adorned with band patches and faux fur on the back. He had long piece of black fringe on half of his head. I raised my eyebrows as I saw him. _What a diva!_

"What?!" he shrugged with a cheeky smile as he sat down at the table. Grabbing his cinnamon latte and the vanilla latte I had made for myself, I approached his table and joined him. I was sure than Ban Yu-mi wouldn't mind because there were no customers.

"So," I said as I rested my chin on my palm, "what brings you here, Coco?"

"Coco?" He asked quizzically.

"Really, Ji? Really?"

"Oh! Chanel! Yes, sorry I know I've just been busy today. I have been in the studio with Teddy since 6am." He yawned. "Anyway, Cheonsa, it is Halloween in a week and also Seunghyun's birthday a not long after that. So I was thinking we could throw a mixed Halloween/Birthday party for Seunghyun? Surprise him? What do you think?"

"YES!" I shouted enthusiastically. I absolutely _loved_ Halloween and the theatrics surrounding it. My favourite genre of book was horror and I know that Seunghyun really appreciated surreal, terrifying films. I was surely going to be a brilliant party.

"It sounds amazing but I didn't realise Halloween was celebrated in Korea?" I asked him quizzically.

"It's not a _thing,"_ Jiyong began, "but we've had Halloween parties in the past. I think it would be really good idea. Plus, it would give us a chance to dress up!" His face lit up as he began listing the characters that he wanted to dress up as. Batman featured heavily on the list.

"So where will we hold this party and who is going to organise it?" I stated as I sipped my coffee.

"Leave it to me, Cheonsa," Jiyong replied as he squinted, planning something. "All you need to do is keep it a secret from him and bring him to the club on the night. Make him believe that you want him to dress up because you're home sick and it reminds you of your childhood. I'll do the invitations." He closed his eyes and pouted, looking very pleased with himself in a way only Jiyong could.

"Since when have you got time in your busy schedule to invite everyone?" I wondered. It wasn't like Jiyong had a lot of time on his hands, especially as he was always in the studio or doing photoshoots.

"This is why I have hired a party planner," he said flashing his huge grin.

"How did I not figure that out?!"

"It's going to be the best party," he boasted as he drank the last of his drink.

Of course it was going to be an amazing party, especially if Jiyong was _paying_ someone to organise it. I had to think of a costume to wear. I had to convince Seunghyun to wear something. _His birthday!_ I realised that I hadn't even thought about his birthday. I needed to make it special but how could I impress someone who had everything he wanted? His apartment was adorned with expensive art work; he had so many books it would take him three lifetimes to possibly read them, and as for clothes, he had mountains and mountains of designer clothes. What on earth would I get him?

After finishing his coffee, Jiyong gave me a hug and left as he said he had a meeting to attend. I thought about what I should wear for my costume. I knew I wanted to wear something that would leave Seunghyun dead in his tracks. I flicked through ideas in my head and finally decided upon Catwoman. _Surely he won't be able to resit a leather catsuit?_

As I waited for the train home, I searched the internet for a costume and found one in Songpa-gu. I arranged to pick the costume up the next day. The next mission was to source a birthday present for Seunghyun. I wanted to get him something special, something that he would remember. He had bought himself everything he could ever possibly want so buying something for him was tricky. I wondered if I should get him some custom artwork but I again realised that I didn't have his bank balance so that idea was out of the question. As the train pulled up in the station, causing a gust of wind, I realised what the perfect present would be. It wasn't a question of what I wanted to get him, it was it the right thing to get him. I knew he preferred sentiment over anything.

That night, I lay in my bed and when I closed my eyes, I pictured him next to me. I wondered if I was making the right decision. We had been dating for over three months. Surely I wasn't rushing things? I thought about Seunghyun and all of the things he did that made me happy. They way he smiled at me after I had done something messy like leave my clothes in a pile on the floor. The way he laughed when I tried to pronounce something in Korean and made it sound completely wrong. When I was upset and he would hold me and kiss me until I felt better. The times when he would push me hard against the wall and take me, there and then, in a fit of passion. When we stayed up until 1am and talked about the world, art, music and our lives. His deep voice, his long arms and delicate yet strong hands. I was irrevocably falling in love with him. Seunghyun. Choi Seunhyung. Seyunghyun. _Youngbae._

My eyes shot wide open as I bolted upright, awakened from my slumber. Desperately, I searched for the glass of water at the side of my bed. It was pitch black in my room and my eyes clawed in the dark for a glimpse of light. I managed to pick up my glass and chugged the water until it quenched my thirst. I checked my phone to see the time: 1am. I had been asleep for a few hours, so why did I feel like I had only just gone to sleep? I felt concerned with myself that I was dreaming sweetly of Seunghyun then I had been disturbed by thoughts of Youngbae. I honestly needed to sort myself out. It had been weeks since I had seen Youngbae. I was undoubtedly falling in love with Seunghyun but why was Youngbae constantly at the back of my mind?

I got up out of bed and walked over to my window in the lounge, grabbing my pack of cigarettes. Using all of my might, I pulled up the window of my apartment and the cool breeze hit my face. I lit up and inhaled deeply as I gazed across the city. Holding my phone in my hand, I wondered if I should text Youngbae. 

_Hey, I know it's late but I just wanted you to know I am in love with Seunghyun. I think it's best if you know this. You're a great friend but nothing else._

No. I couldn't send it. I didn't want to hurt his feelings. _But what if he doesn't have feelings and I'm just imagining things?_ My brain didn't know what to think. I decided to call Seunghyun even thought it was now 1.30am. 

"Hello?" came the groggy voice from the other end of the phone. 

"Baby?"

"Cheonsa, it is 1am. Why are you calling me at this hour?"

"I love you."

I put the phone down. _Why did I say that?!_ Now he is going to think that I am very strange, ringing him in the middle of the night to say I loved him. We hadn't even been together for that long. _What was wrong with me?_

My thigh began to vibrate as I could see he was calling me back. I didn't dare pick up the phone, instead I took another drag on my cigarette and blowing the smoke back out. Was I really sure that I loved him?


	35. Chapter 35

The clock read 6am. Hauling myself out of bed, I went to the bathroom and splashed cool water on my face: it instantly woke me up. Even though it pained me to do so during this ungodly hour of the day, I put on a full face of make up after I had brushed my teeth. When I was satisfied that I looked presentable, I went back to my bedroom and put on some clothes. A pair of dark jeans and a red v-neck jumper. I didn't even make myself a coffee as I left my house. Instead, I picked up my leather jacket and my bag, leaving my apartment whilst it was still dark.

It did feel unusual to walk onto the streets this early in the morning. I made sure I wore a mask mask because I wanted to remain incognito. Unbeknownst to Seungyun, I was headed to the YGE building. I knew that the boys had an early morning rehearsal for their tour in Japan but I knew I needed to talk to him after the impromptu phone call I made to him during the night and I wanted to do it face to face. _Surely I could sneak a quick five minutes with him?_

When I got to the YGE building, I made sure I flashed my ID card. _Global Brand Ambassador._ I felt important as I waltzed through the security and up the the front desk without questions. It was quiet because it was so early but I was aware of the stares from the few employees that were around. _Yes, I am a foreigner, please stop staring at me._ I asked the receptionist which area BigBang were practising in. She gave me a puzzled look as if to say I wasn't allowed to know but as soon as I showed her my ID badge, she immediately told me where they would be. She informed me that Taeyang, G-Dragon and Daesung had arrived but the others weren't there. _Oh great. Now I have to hang around suspiciously trying not to cause concern whilst waiting for Seunghyun and avoiding Youngbae._ I couldn't leave and wait elsewhere because the Receptionist had signed my in and was now directing me into the elevator, smiling and wished me well. There was no escape once I left the elevator; I had to go to the dance studio.

Anxiously leaving the elevator, I approached the studio entrance with caution. _Would he even appreciate me turning up at the break of dawn to his workplace?_ Probably not. However, I knew I needed to see him in person as speaking on the phone would not suffice. Plus, I wanted to see him full stop: I missed him. A few other staff appeared as I loitered in the corridors. They looked at me strangely as I probably stood out to them. One of them even asked if I was lost. I explained to her that I was looking for Choi Seunghyun but I knew he wasn't here yet so I was happy to wait downstairs. She gave me one of the strangest looks I had ever seen as if she was belittling me. She probably doesn't know the connection. _Hopefully she will get the hint and leave me alone so I can_ _casually_ _go back down in the elevator_ _and hide somewhere out of view_ _._

She didn't get the hint and began to escort me to the dance studio. Again, I told her that I was waiting for Seunghyun but because he hadn't arrived, I would wait downstairs in the dining hall. _Obviously,_ just as I was trying to explain this to her in a mix of broken English and Korean, Youngbae had to open the door. _Great..._

"Oh... annyeong?" He said, his face puzzled as he stared at me. He exchanged something in Korean with the woman and they both bowed. She walked into the dance studio as the door closed. Youngbae stood, blocking the door, and adjusted his cap. _Was he nervous or was he just fed up of seeing me?_

"I am here to see Seunghyun, I need to give him something urgently. Is he here?"

"No. He isn't," Youngbae said sharply. _This was awkward._ The air was thick with tension and there was an uncomfortable silence that seemed to last an age. I decided to break the tension and address the elephant in the room.

 _"_ Look, I am sorry if things are weird between us right now..." I began as I began shuffling my feet and looking at the floor.

"We.. wei-rd?" He asked; I don't think he understood what this word meant in English. I didn't know what the translation would be in Korean. I was about to reply but someone did it for me.

"Weird. She means _isanghan."_

_Fuck. It was Seunghyun walking towards us from the elevator. He heard everything._

The men began saying something in Korean and Youngbae held out his arms and shook his head, as if they were having a frosty conversation. Seunghyun had stopped next to me, standing very close. It wasn't an affectionate stance though; he wasn't going to be showing any aegyo in the middle of the YGE dance studios....

Youngbae looked at me and shook his head before he muttered something and went back in the dance studio. Seunghyun removed his sunglasses and I could see how angry his eyes were. He turned and faced me.

"Why are you here?" He asked almost sternly. _Damn, did he think I was conducting some sort of liaison with Youngbae?_

My mouth was dry as I began to panic.

"No! Of course not. I came to speak to you, actually."

"So you decided to show up here when you could have called or at least text me?" He raised one eyebrow. _Back in Villain-Mode I see._

"Stop jumping to conclusions, Seunghyun. I came to explain the phone call last night."

"Jumping to?" He asked. _This bloody language barrier..._

"You're making things up. Youngbae happened to walk out of the door as I was being shown in by one of the dancers." Without thinking, I thrust open the door to the studio, scanning the room and pointed at the dancer. _Everyone_ in the room stared as I shouted 'her'. Jiyong looked perplexed as he saw Seunghyun and I standing by the door almost fighting. Seunghyun grabbed the door handle and slammed the door shut.

"You IDIOT!" he shouted at me. "You're not making things easy are you?"

"Excuse me?" I spat back, annoyed that he had called me an idiot. In that moment I felt completely useless. I had only come to tell him that I meant what I had said and that it didn't matter if he didn't feel the same. To be honest, I wasn't sure that he did feel the same now after this stupid fight.

"Yang Hyunsuk isn't going to be impressed if he hears that TOP and one of his _employees_ have been shouting at each other in the corridor. The dancers will be asking me questions now. Thanks to you, I'll have to come up with more lies. AIIIISH. _Geumanhae!!"_

I went to grab his arm to try and calm him down.

"I'm sorry. I came here to tell you that I lo..." he cut me off as he nudged me off him.

"It is best if you go. I'm not in the mood to talk now. _Soksanghae._ I'm upset now." He put his right hand to his forehead and massaged his eyes. I could see that his Rolex slid down his arm. Even though he was angry at me, he was still sexy.

"Fine," I said as I turned on my heels and headed for the elevator. Tears were welling up in my eyes so I reached in my bag for sunglasses: his broken Raybans. Shoving them on my face, I crossed my arms to show him that he hadn't upset me, even though he had.

DING!

Seungri came bounding out of the elevator, a big smile on his face which melted into confusion as he saw my grumpy face.

"Annyeo, honeypie, what's up with you?" He asked as he put his hand on my shoulder. _He was so sweet._ I told him I had come to talk to his Hyung but his Hyung didn't want to talk to me.

"You've come all the way here, at 7am just to talk to him? You are really strange but really cute, you know that?"

"Leave her, she is going," Seunghyun called in his deep voice.

I rolled my eyes at him under my glasses. _Stupid Villain._ I don't know why but a tiny part of me thought he would have grabbed me lustfully and told me that he loved me, in front of everyone in the building without a care for anyone of this secrecy bullshit. Then everyone would clap and he would sweep me off my feet and kiss me, like in the movies. It really didn't happen like that at all. He couldn't have been less romantic if he tried. _We_ _re_ _all couples like this? Scratch that. No couples had this type of confusing idol-citizen relationship. It wasn't normal at all._

"Yes. Fine. If that's what you think is best," I said to him with an unimpressed tone. I didn't even bother to turn around to talk to him.

Seungri gave me one of his looks that told me he didn't want me to be mad at Seunghyun. _I suppose Seungri can sympathise with The Villain but I'm not going to. He shouldn't speak like that to me. Especially in public._

I just wished he would listen to me when I told him that nothing was going on with Youngbae. _Why didn't he believe me?_ Part of me felt guilty because if I hadn't have shown up here uninvited then we would be having this stupid conversation. I knew he wanted to keep our relationship secret and private; I suppose I had to respect his wishes, especially when he was at work. Now I felt guilty.

I pressed the button for the elevator, leaning around Seungri and tapping my foot impatiently waiting for it to arrive. The door to the dance studio slammed and Seungri took my sunglasses from me.

"He has gone back inside," he said as he folded my glasses. "What happened?"

I took a deep breath and bit my lip.

"It's a long story. You're suppose to be practising?"

"I'm always late. Anyway. If anyone asks, I was having a professional conversation with the Global Brand Ambassador." He smirked.

"Last night I told him that I loved him on the phone as I couldn't sleep. I wanted to come here, to see him in person, to tell him I was being serious. As I came in, one of your dancers was trying to make me come into the room and I ran into Youngbae."

"Aiiish," Seungri said as he sucked the air through his teeth.

"I know. I apologised for the weirdness between us."

"Weirdness?" Seungri questioned. _Urgh not_ _the language barrier_ _again!_

 _"_ You know, how Bae still thinks there is _something_ between us...? Anyway, at that moment Seunghyun came out of the elevator and heard. He thinks there is something going on between us. There isn't. And now he is mad."

"That is bad."

"Oh thanks, Oppa. Thank you for your support!" I replied as I rolled my eyes. He pulled me close for a cuddle.

"Look. I will speak to them both. Leave it to Oppa Lee," he said as he ruffled my hair and gave me back the glasses. The elevator door opened.

"You need these glasses fixing, Cheonsa."

* * *  
Seunghyun slammed the door to the dance studio and everyone looked up at him as he stomped across the wooden floor to the lockers.

"Annyeong, Hyung!" Jiyong called to him. Ji had been sat on the floor, cross-legged, discussing some choreography with the Kwon Twins. His expression changed when he heard his friend angrily stomping and saw that he had a face like thunder. Jiyong excused himself from the Kwon Twins' company and walked over to Seunghyun. As he walked over, he exchanged glances with Youngbae, who was sitting with Daesung. He could tell something had been said between them. _Not this again..._

"Hyung, are you ok?" He asked as he stood by Seunghyun. He didn't reply so Jiyong decided to coax an answer from him.

"Has something happened?"

Seunghyun aggressively hung his coat up on the rack, ignoring Jiyong.

"Whatever mood you're in, Hyung, you have to snap out of it. We've got lots of work to do today. Please?" Jiyong knew that as their leader, he needed to keep everyone together and happy.

Just then, Youngbae came over looking sheepish. He wasn't scared of Seunghyun but he hated it when he went into one of his moods. He decided it would be best to try and clear the air before the dance practise began. 

"Nothing happened, Hyung," Youngbae said as he spoke. Seunghyun froze and turned around with his dead-pan stare. 

"Why did she say that it was weird between you then?" Seunghyun snapped. 

"I don't know," Youngbae began, "maybe because of that night in the club? I doesn't matter anyway because there is nothing between us. Honestly." Something inside Youngbae wanted to scream because he felt he was lying to his friend about it. He didn't want to say anything because he knew it would be the wrong thing to do. The right thing would be to ignore his feelings for the sake of his friend. 

"Why is this so hard?" Seunghyun asked Jiyong with a stressed look on his face.

"What is stressing you out?" Jiyong asked with a concerned reaction. 

Seunghyun sighed and put his head in his hands. He was aware that the other dancers were probably watching what was going on. His mind cast back to the horrible ending of his relationship with Ri-na. He didn't want his new relationship to be anything like the one he had with that poisonous snake. Thoughts of Ri-na had started to creep into his mind like weeds through the cracks in pavement. No matter what he did, he couldn't shake them and it was making him anxious. Maybe that was why he was so psychotic about Youngbae and Cheonsa? His experience with Ri-na cheating on him made him neurotic. _What if Cheonsa and Youngbae were secretly seeing each other?_ He couldn't tell anyone about his thoughts. He was a private person and he hated sharing intimate details about himself. 

"I just don't want to lose her like I lost Ri-na," Seunghyun replied to Jiyong. He was trying to be vague with the details. 

"That's not going to happen," Youngbae replied. As much as he wanted Cheonsa, he knew that he wanted his friend to be happy and if that meant letting her go from his thoughts, that was what he had to do. 

"We are brothers and we are here to support each other. We will make sure this works out for you, Hyung," Jiyong said, putting his arms around both Youngbae and Seunghyun. "Now, let's smash this dance practise."

* * * 

At lunchtime, the boys and their dancers were sat down eating takeout that management had brought in. Seungri thought this would be the best time to try and sort out the incident that happened this morning. He was careful to make sure neither Youngbae or Seunghyun knew he was acting on behalf of Cheonsa. 

"Hyung, how is your Kimbap?" he asked Youngbae with glint in his eye. Youngbae had a mouthful of food and tried to eat it quickly before responding. 

"It's really tasty, have we eaten takeout from here before?"

"No. I don't think so. Although I think we might have eaten at this place when Lauren showed Mr Lee that photo of Cheonsa and Seunghyun?" Seungri knew that this was not correct information but he wanted to drop her name into the conversation and watch Youngbae's reaction. Youngbae averted his gaze as soon as Seungri said her name which sent alarm bells ringing in Seungri's head. 

"Are you ok, Hyung?" Seungri asked Youngbae. 

"Yes. I'll be fine."

"Fine?"

"I saw Cheonsa earlier. She apologised for things being crazy between us."

"Oh, really?" Seungri was trying not to pry but wanted to set the record straight for Cheonsa so that neither Youngbae nor Seunghyun were hurt. "Aren't you glad that things are going well for her and Seunghyun?"

"Yes, I am but I constantly think back to that night in the club. I was sure I felt something between us. But I am trying to be respectful and forget about it... it is so difficult to forget?"

Seungri nodded as he stuffed Kimbap into his mouth. He wasn't sure what to think about the situation. He knew Youngbae was hurting. 

"Hyung," Seungri began as he put his hand on Youngbae's arm, "the best thing to do is walk away from her. I know it's hard but she is with Seunghyun. We will find you someone else, someone better."

Youngbae sighed. It really wasn't what he wanted but he had to move on. It was only one night at a club anyway....

* * * 

At the end of the day, the boys all said their goodbyes to each other. Daesung had planned to meet up with Sooyun and both Jiyong and Youngbae were going to a meeting about a project they had planned together. Seungri suggested that he and Seunghyun go for a beer before they went home. Seungri suggested they go to one of the hotel bars in Gangnam-gu. 

They both sat down at the bar and sipped their drinks. Seungri ordered a beer and Seunghyun ' bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. Seungri knew he had to be careful with what he said. 

"I spoke to Youngbae this afternoon and he assured me that nothing is going on."

Seunghyun looked at him with disapproval. _Why was Seungri getting involved in the drama?_

"I know it's hard but you need to move on from thinking that Youngbae is out to steal your girl. That's not what he wants to do."

Thoughts of Ri-na flooded his head again. She had destroyed him and his confidence. 

"What are you talking about?" Seunghyun abruptly said as he downed the dregs of wine in his glass. 

"You know, from this morning? Don't think I don't know what was going on there."

Seunghyun gave Seungri the side eye. 

"She's a good girl, Seunghyun. You're too critical of her. She loves you and I think you need to be kinder to her."

"Oh really? How do you figure that one out?"

"She loves you," Seungri replied as he looked his friend straight in the eyes. He was doing Cheonsa a favour and he felt good about it. "She told me this morning."

Seunghyun felt something click inside of him. It was as if a light switch had been turned on and something was illuminated in his psyche, giving him a burst of strange yet uplifting energy. He looked at Seungri, feeling slightly inebriated from the three glasses of wine he had drunk, grabbed his coat and left the hotel bar. His head was swimming but he was sure he was making the right decision.

As he knocked back the rest of his beer, Seungri smiled to himself. His work here was done. He text Cheonsa.

_Thank me later x_


	36. Chapter 36

Seunghyun's head was swimming with thoughts and wine by the time he managed to get a driver to take him to his destination. Of course he wasn't sure if he was making the right decision or not but he couldn't back out now. He reached into his pocket and drank two bottles of gin that he had stashed from the minibar of some hotel he was at last. His vision was becoming blurry now and he felt a mixture of utter joy and crushing despair wash over him as the alcohol warmed his insides.

The car dropped him off outside of her apartment and he took a deep breath before entering. Slightly staggering up towards the lift, Seunghyun mashed the buttons and steadied himself by leaning up against the wall. He fingered the lighter in his pocket, grinding it round and round until he got into the elevator and up to her floor. Upon arrival, he again staggered down the corridor and found her door. _Tap, tap, BANG, BANG._ Maybe he was too heavy with his knocks. He didn't care and he sniggered to himself.

She opened the door and stood staring at him with wide eyes as she didn't expect him to be at her door. Things had been fraught between them lately and she was past the point of caring about him.

"You are...a horr... _horrid_ person an... and.. I don't ev... ever want to see you... again," he muttered, barely coherent.

"Are you drunk?" She asked him as she squinted and leant away. She could smell the alcohol on him. _Yup, definitely drunk. Typical Seunghyun._

He tried to steady himself on the wall as the room span viciously. He could feel his arms weighing him down as he drifted towards the floor before leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the corridor.

Just then, he heard another man's voice.

"RI-NA? Who is it?" The man came to the door and saw Seunghyun sliding down the wall, his eyes closing rapidly. Seunghyun lost his balance and fell towards to door, smashing his head on the wooden frame. Blood began to pool from a gash on the side of his forehead. Ri-Na saw he was now slumped into a heap on the floor.

She quickly turned to the man with worried eyes.

"It's TOP. I think he has had too much to drink? Oh god, I'm so sorry..." she was becoming anxious. The man in the apartment happened to be Yang Hyunsuk's brother Yang Minsuk: an important figure at YGE.

"Please don't tell YG, it will only cause problems," Ri-na uttered as she bent down to check on Seunghyun, passed out on the floor.

"What does he think he is doing? Getting smashed and coming here?" Minsuk replied as he bent down and grabbed Seunghyun's arms. "Help me drag him in and get a towel to stem that cut on his head."

"Urgh, he is heavy," she complained as she helped him haul Seunghyun into the open-plan living area of her apartment.

"Call Lee," Minsuk said.

"Don't call his manager! Call Taehee, he will be more understanding in this situation. I'm sure he's had to deal with Jiyong doing something stupid like this before. As much as he is my ex-boyfriend, I don't want this to get out. It could be damaging to his career. He would never forgive me."

Ri-Na reached for her phone, which was on the sofa, and she dialled Taehee Lee's number, asking him to come over urgently. Luckily, he was only a few blocks away and he appeared breathless with Jiyong by his side.

"Shit, Hyung, what have you been doing?" Jiyong screeched as he saw Seunghyun lying there. "Is he breathing? Why is he bleeding?"

"Of course he is breathing, idiot, he is just passed out drunk and hit his head. He needs to go home. He isn't staying here!" Ri-Na shouted. Although she was concerned about Seunghyun, she still had to play up to her bad girl image in front of Jiyong.

"Ri-Na, he looks sick, we are going to have to take him to hospital. He could have alcohol poisoning and maybe concussion!" Taehee replied sounding extremely worried. Everyone exchanged glances and Minsuk put his heads in his hands.

"If Hyunsuk finds out I'm here, I'm in trouble. No one knows about this, ok?" He pointed between him and the girl. The others nodded.

"Jiyong, stay with him and I'll call for a doctor. We can't risk this getting out into the public, especially if he is spotted at the hospital on a gurney."

Taehee called for a doctor. Jiyong was an angry that Seunghyun had done this: _if only he'd have spoken to Jiyong about his problems instead of bottling everything up._ Jiyong felt pity for his friend as well. He wished he could make everything better.

As Taehee finished calling, Seunghyun began to stir, reaching out with his left hand feebly as if he was trying to grasp something.

"Tell her... te... tell her... love.. her.. too..." he muttered incoherently.

Ri-Na looked shocked as she bent down to him and stroked his forehead. He automatically pulled away.

"Che...on...sa," he mumbled.

"I'm you're angel?" Ri-na said softly. Jiyong shot her an evil glance.

"He doesn't mean you; Cheonsa' is the nickname of someone else," he politely informed her. He took great pleasure in telling her this. _She thinks she's got him round her little finger but she is so wrong._

"That probably explains why he came here to say he never wanted to see you again," Minsuk replied. He was relieved that a Seunghyun clearly didn't want to rekindle anything with Ri-Na.

Ri-Na looked displeased to learn someone else had snatched Seunghyun's affections from her. She bit her lip and scowled. Minsuk slowly walked over to her and brought his hand onto her shoulder but she furiously shrugged him off. _How dare Seunghyun find someone else._

Seunghyun passed out again and it wasn't until the following morning that he woke up in his own bed. _How did I get here?_ A searing pain shot through his head: it was worse than a hangover. He went to rub his head but he felt the stab of the IV needle in his hand.

"Darling," came a calm voice and a soft touch on his arm. "You're awake! Be careful, don't yank out the IV, you need it to replenish your energy."

It was his mother.

"What is...?" he began. He was feeling very confused.

"Darling, you're not well," she began.

"Eomma?"

"Lee Taehee-ssi called me. You've had some poisoning but the Doctors have treated you here. You need to rest." She didn't want to admit the poisoning was _alcohol_ poisoning.

Seunghyun closed his eyes and tried to piece together the parts that he remembered about the following night. He remembered drinking with Seungri; drinking in the car; staggering to see Ri-Na. _Shit. What did I say to her?_ He couldn't ask his mother, he preferred that she didn't know what he had been up to. A pang of regret flooded his system and he pressed the button on his IV for more painkiller. He slowly fell into a dream-like sleep.

Mrs Choi squeezed her son's hand and let go. She took out her phone and telephoned Jiyong to update him on Seunghyun's condition. She also asked Jiyong to telephone Seunghyun's _friend._ Jiyong knew who she meant and was quite shocked that Seunghyun's mother knew about her; especially as she was a non-Korean.

* * *   
"Cheonsa, are you at home?" Jiyong asked trying to be careful with his words. He didn't want to frighten her.

"Umm... yes? It's 8am Ji, where else would I be?"

He cleared his throat and braced himself to deliver the news. As he did, she interrupted him.

"He still hasn't phoned me since yesterday morning. Is he really that angry with me?"

"He's not been well," Jiyong began. He really didn't want to tell her that he had been at Ri-na's apartment when he collapsed. "It's ok though, he has been seen by the doctor and he is resting at home. He is hooked up to an electrolyte IV though to help him recover and the doctor comes to check on him every few hours. It's much more private this way than going into a public hospital, you see."

There was silence on the other end of the phone. He could hear the sharp intake of her breaths and she struggled to contain herself.

"Cheonsa? Hello? Are you still there?"

Nothing.

"Don't worry, please. He is going to be ok. The doctors think he had alcohol poisoning and that he had a mild concussion from hitting his head when he collapsed. His mother is with him at the moment. She asked me to call you to tell you he was ok. She said you are welcome to come and see him but only if you wanted?"

"Jiyong?" He heard her voice crack.

"Do you want me to pick you up and I will take you to him?"

She could only manage to hum in response to his question. Jiyong could hear she was shocked and starting to cry.

"I'll be over in 15 minutes."

* * *

The car ride to Seunghyun's apartment was not a pleasant one. Jiyong did all he could to try and reassure me. In between gear shifts, he held my hand, stroking it with his thumb. I was glad to have him here and it meant a lot that he was being so caring.

Jiyong explained what had happened to Seunghyun and how he had been at Ri-Na's apartment. _Fucking Ri-Na._ It made my heart drop into the pit of my stomach when I thought of him seeing her but Jiyong reassured me that he was there to tell her that he was finally done with her. _So he wasn't done with her before? Huh?_ I didn't know how to feel about it and I ground my teeth at the thought of it. In fact, I felt surprisingly numb to everything that was going on around me as I stared out at the window of Jiyong's car.

"Before he passed out, he asked for you. Please don't be angry with him: you mean a lot to him."

_Yeah, I must mean nearly as much as Ri-Na does..._

"His mother will be there, she said she is staying until he is better, so there are some things you should know."

I turned and faced Jiyong, who quickly looked at me as he took his eyes off the road and then fixed them back. _His mother was there. This was going to be the fun, considering Korean parents are supposed to be extremely fussy about who their children date. Did she know we were more than friends?_

"When I introduce you to her, say hello in Korean and bow to her. Call her _eomoni,_ it means 'mother'. Be calm. She only knows you are close friends with Seunghyun, so don't imply that you are dating. That would probably give her a heart attack. Oh, and she knows you are European, Ban Yu-mi told her..."

I scowled at him and pulled my head back in disbelief. 

"They're friends by the way... this is how she found out about you."

_Fantasic. Thank you Ban Yu-mi for blabbing. It would be difficult enough dealing with the Villain in his invalid state, let alone dealing with daunting Korean mother-in-law customs. Was she even my mother-in-law if we were 'only friends'?_

"Oh Jiyong, I don't know about this," I said with a quiver in my voice. "Maybe I should just go home. I don't want to cause problems."

"No. She specifically asked for you to come over, it would be impolite to refuse her invitation."

I sighed and rolled my eyes, terrified that I would do something wrong. As we pulled up to Seungnhyun's building my stomach was in knots. I hadn't made an effort with my appearance: when Jiyong called me about Seunghyun, I was too shocked to even care about how I looked. I hoped his mother didn't judge me and think I wasn't good enough for her son. 

Jiyong and I walked into the building and went into the elevator to his floor. I sheepishly held onto Jiyong's arm as he knocked on the door. He pushed me off gently, encouraging me to stand up straight and smile politely. _This was so unlike Jiyong._

"Annyeonghaseyo," said the sweet voice of Seunghyun's mother as she opened the door. Jiyong bowed to her, so I copied him. I deeply bowed and wondered if I was doing it right. Jiyong coughed to hint for me to stand up. 

"Annyeonghaseyo," she said to me. I bowed again, unsure if I should have done so or not. 

She invited us in and spoke to Jiyong in Korean, who translated as best as he could. Seunghyun's mother had a kind, friendly face and she smiled at me as Jiyong translated. I felt embarrassed that I thought she would be so judgemental. _Maybe she just wants her son to be happy?_ I wondered if he had spoken to her about me.

"Eomoni says that he is sleeping but you are welcome to go and see him. He has been asking for you. She said you must be a good friend to him."

I looked at her in anticipation and she nodded to me. Seeking approval from Jiyong, who also nodded at me, I bowed and headed off towards his bedroom. _Should I have asked where to go? Is she going to think it is disrespectful that I know where his bedroom is?_

I didn't care. Frantically, I reached his bedroom door and pushed it open gently, careful not to make a sound. Seunghyun looked peaceful as he slept in his bed. I really wanted to climb in next to him and cuddle him, telling him he would be ok but I gathered that would be inappropriate considering his mother was next door. Cautiously, I walked over to the chair next to his bed and sat down. Gently, I started to stroke his hand and he began to stir. Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked at me. 

"Cheonsa?" 

"My love, I'm here for you, it's ok." I felt the tears well up in my eyes as I hated seeing him like this. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen."

Without even thinking about the IV drip attached to him, I fell to my knees and leant over the bed to be closer to him, almost sending the metal attachment the IV drip rested on flying to the floor. He managed a feeble laugh as I scrambled to keep it upright. Smiling, I kissed his forehead, carefully avoiding the stitched up gash above his eye, and he closed his eyes, meekly. _I've never seen The Villain so vulnerable..._

"It's ok, I understand everything." It was as if hearing his voice and seeing his face had melted away any doubts I had about us. I didn't need to hear anything from him, just being next to him was enough for me. 

"I want you to know I'm not angry at you." I could hear he was weak. 

"Seunghyun, please, rest, you're not well," I implored him as I held his hand. He looked me in the eyes with his deep, stare.

"Cheonsa, I love you."

"Seunghyun, I love you too."


	37. Chapter 37

Many people came and visited Seunghyun during the next few days whilst he took it easy at home. First, it was Taehee, Jiyong's manager. Taehee was instrumental in ensuring the press and the public didn't find out about his drunken outburst at Ri-Na's place: Seunghyun was grateful for that. Yang Hyunsuk came and saw him too, which made Seunghyun feel nervous because he was worried that YG would be really mad with him for creating yet more drama. Of course YG wasn't pleased but he knew Seunghyun had struggled with alcohol in the past and he offered him some support to help him. All of the boys, including Youngbae, came to see Seunghyun and kept him company as he moped around the house, feeling sorry for himself. Finally, his mother insisted that she stayed over whilst he got himself back on his feet.

"I don't need you to stay, Eomma. I hit my head but now it is healing. I am fine," he insisted as he sat at the breakfast table nursing a cup of coffee. He didn't dare go over the demons lurking in the back of his mind with her.

"My darling, you had poisoning and needed an IV drip to help you replenish. You need some loving care and I want to look after you." She fussed around him, tidying the books on the table and straightened the chairs in front of him.

He loved his mother but he really didn't need her to baby him. He needed some space from everyone around him. It was hard, but he was desperately trying to comprehend why he had drunk so much that night, causing him to black out and concuss himself. In all honestly, Seunghyun felt desperately unhappy with his life. He couldn't sugar-coat it anymore. He was feeling the pressure of the idol lifestyle after living in the spotlight for such a long time. The fact that he couldn't freely spend time in public with his girlfriend was the cherry on top of the cake. He knew he needed to re-evaluate his priorities in life and take some time out.

The one problem was that he couldn't take time out. They were promoting their new song with a tour in Japan and BIGBANG had been booked to do variety shows, photoshoots and various interviews. He would just have to get over himself and be strong. If not for himself, then for his fans. He hoped that his melancholy didn't gradually build until he felt like he was in a pressure cooker. It was his birthday next week and he wasn't even that bothered by it.

"Why don't you invite your friend over, Cheonsa? She seemed like a nice girl. Maybe she has some equally lovely Korean girl-friends who you can go on a date with?"

Seunghyun rolled his eyes at his mother. He hadn't told her that they were actually dating and luckily Ban Yu-mi hadn't spilled those beans either. The last thing his mother needed was to know that her only son was dating a European girl. He knew she would be disappointed.

"Eomma, please."

"I want what is best for you, Seunghyun. I am looking forwards to having a lovely daughter-in-law to cook me Kimchi stew! It will be exciting. I wonder what she is doing now?"

"What who is doing?" he replied, turning his head to the side. He had no idea what she was talking about.

"Your future wife!" his mother said with a beaming smile on her face. "Maybe she is from Busan? Maybe she is from here in Seoul? Maybe she is from somewhere else?" she was becoming very excited.

"Maybe she doesn't exist?" he interrupted with a flat-tone. His mother's face dropped. He wanted to put her off the scent.

"I was being serious, Seunghyun, you don't need to ruin my fun."

He didn't say anything back to her. Instead, he sipped his coffee and grabbed his phone with his free hand. He text her, inviting her over. All his mother's talk about women made him miss her and want her. At least he knew that in this dark time in his life, he had her to make him feel better.

"I've asked her over, so you had better be on your best behaviour, Eomma. No talking about Korean girls," he uttered to his mother. She went over and hugged him from behind.

"I am always on my best behaviour," she replied. Call it mother's intuition but she knew there was something going on between her son and this girl. Ban Yu-mi had been dropping hints and even though she hadn't directly said anything, she knew. Mrs Choi knew there was something special between them from that moment when she saw them together as she peeped into Seunghyun's bedroom when he was unwell. She wanted to get to know this girl for herself.

* * *

I hadn't seen Seunghyun since the day after his fall. I didn't know how appropriate it was, considering his mother was staying with him. I knew she, like all Korean mothers, wanted her son to fall in love with a nice, traditional Korean girl who could cook nice, traditional Korean food. I couldn't even name a nice, traditional Korean food. Yes, despite living in Korea for nearly a year, I still couldn't get my head around the culture: it was so different to mine.

Picking up his message made me nervous. We had been messaging each other every day. He wasn't big on texting and calling but he would ask me what I was doing and how I was. I felt sorry for him, moping around in his apartment for a week. I knew he couldn't leave until he could have the stitches taken out of his forehead in case the press picked up on them. I began sending him racy pictures of me in lacy, black underwear and even a few topless pictures. He responded by sending my pictures of his rock-hard, thick cock. It made my head spin thinking of them. It had been nearly two weeks since we had slept together and I was becoming desperate to feel him inside me. I was secretly hoping his mother would have gone home at some point so we could fool around but alas, that was not the case.

_My mother is still here. Do you still want to visit?_ _I miss you_ _x_

I told him that I was really looking forwards to seeing her again. A little white lie. I was nervous and unsure of how to react. _Wouldn't it be awkward with Seunghyun acting as the translator as if we were in some bizarre interview on the news?_ Still, I missed him and longed to see him in person, even if we couldn't cuddle, kiss or fuck. _Business as usual then_ _. It's like we're back at YGE_ _..._

I knocked on his door, inhaling deeply to steady my nerves. Mrs Choi opened the door and smiled at me. _A good start._

"Annyeonghaseyo," I said, bowing deeply to her. I wasn't sure how long to bow for and stayed there for a good ten seconds until I heard Seunghyun laugh.

"You don't have to bow for that long, Cheonsa," he said with his deep raspy tones. I looked up at Mrs Choi and apologetically held up my hands. She smiled at me and ushered for me to come in. I thanked her, took off my shoes (like a good Korean girl would) and walked over to the breakfast bar where my handsome man was sat. He looked much better than he did before: the colour had returned to his previously pallid complexion and his eyes were bright. Apart from the healing gash on his forehead, he looked good. I sat, awkwardly upright at the table with my hands together as if I were about to say grace. He smiled at me as if he were making fun of me: he found it hilarious that I was trying to be on my best behaviour. His eyes were saying _you're trying to act innocent but we've fucked on this table so don't try and pretend you're an angel, Cheonsa..._

"Would you like to drink?" Mrs Choi asked me in English. I was taken by surprise that she spoke to me in somewhat broken English as I didn't think she could speak it.

"That would be nice, a coffee please," I replied as I smiled and bowed my head.

"Stop bowing!" he laughed. He said something in Korean to his mother who went over to the fridge and grabbed a cold bottle of Tattinger.

"Champagne?" I asked him as I pointed to the bottle Mrs Choi was holding.

"Yes, you are right," he said sarcastically, ignoring the fact I was questioning that we were drinking at 1pm in the afternoon. Mrs Choi brought over three champagne flutes and the bottle, handing it to Seunghyun to uncork.

"She loves wine too," he said as he pulled and twisted at the cork. It came out with a sweet pop.

It turned out that the afternoon wasn't that awkward after all. Of course the language barrier was a bit of an issue but Seunghyun did his best to translate. His mother was incredibly sweet and she asked lots of questions about my background, where I was from and what my ambitions were. I asked lots of questions about Seunghyun and his upbringing. Whether he was translating them correctly was another question. All three of us shared the champagne happily and I was glad that Mrs Choi was there to cheer Seunghyun up. He seemed like a different person today: happy and content.

"She wants to know if you plan on going back to London," he asked me as he rested his chin on his open palm. His gold Rolex slid down his wrist, jangling as it did so. I smiled at him. _Did she really ask that question or was he being sneaky?_ I looked over at Mrs Choi and tried to keep a straight face at her.

"Yes, I do actually. I won't stay here forever unless Seunghyun has other plans for us."

He raised his eyebrows and uttered a deep laugh.

"Plans for us? I'm not telling her that! She will get ideas!"

He translated something into Korean.

"She said it must be hard being away from your own mother. She would find it hard being away from me for years at a time."

"Tell her that yes, it is hard but meeting someone who takes your breath away every moment you see them helps."

I could see the smile gently begin to curl his straight lips. I knew what I was saying to him. I wondered if Mrs Choi could feel the tension slowly rising between us. _Who was I kidding, of course she could._ Seunghyun was asking these questions on purpose to hint to his mother than I was more than just his friend.

He spoke to her in Korean and she replied.

"She said said she understands: it's hard to be with Seunghyun because he is such a perfect man..."

I tutted at him and instinctively picked up a drinks coaster and threw it at him for being so cocky. _As if she said that...._

Mrs Choi gasped. _Maybe I shouldn't have thrown something. How impolite of me._ She bent over and picked up the coaster, placing it back on the table. I had definitely blown my chances of being a nice, traditional girl. She laughed and shook her head.

There was still a warming tension bubbling between Seunghyun and I. As the afternoon began to wane into the evening, I moved my chair closer to his and by the time the champagne was finished, his thick hand was on my thigh. I didn't dare respond in front of his mother but he made it incredibly difficult to keep a straight face as his hand kept riding up my thigh, dangerously close to my core. I couldn't take it much longer. His mother got up to use the bathroom and as she was out of sight, he grabbed my shoulders and pulled me into him. The taste of the champagne on his lips was heaven as his tongue explored mine. I let out an involuntary moan as his fingers wandered up my skirt and slipped under my lacy knickers, wandering down into my wet core. He began to stroke tenderly, circling my clit with his long fingers, causing me to writhe softly with his rhythm until we heard the bathroom door close. With super speed, he had resumed his position sitting at the table but he put his finger in his mouth, tasting my essence. I had to bite my lip: it drove me wild. It was so frustrating knowing we couldn't do anything because his mother was there.

As it was getting late, I reluctantly suggested that I go home. I couldn't stay the night if his mother was there. I said my goodbyes, bowing to them both before catching a train home. Seunghyun wanted to call me a driver but I refused because I wanted to walk in the fresh air to clear my head from the champagne bubbles.

* * *

"Seunghyun," came his mother's voice from the kitchen as she was washing up the champagne glasses. "She was a nice girl."

"Yes, she's a good friend," he replied as he went and sat down on the sofa with a book.

"Maybe your father would like her?"

There was silence as Seunghyun stopped what he was reading and stared at one of the paintings on the wall. He knew what she was implying.

"Maybe I will tell him about her and give him time to get used to the idea?" she said as she carried on pottering about as if nothing had happened.

"The idea?" Seunghyun was trying to coax her to say it.

"Seunghyun, it's obvious that she is a very close friend to you. Maybe even more?"

He got up and walked over to his mother. She was a small lady and as he was so tall he towered over her. He leaned back on the kitchen counter.

"Don't tell him. He won't be happy that she is a foreigner."

Mrs Choi sighed and folded her arms.

"Give him time and he will relent. Just be patient. Ban Yu-mi tells me good things about her. Maybe your father could meet her at your birthday meal?"

 _Oh. The birthday meal._ Seunghyun had forgotten about the annual meal he had with his family in celebration of his birthday. It wasn't unusual for him to bring some friends to the meal. In fact, he had taken the boys before and of course, the poisonous beast Ri-Na had been too.

"Yes, maybe that would be nice," he said to his mother. "Just as a friend though, to introduce the idea."

His mother agreed. Seunghyun wasn't sure how Cheonsa would feel about going to such a formal Korean event by herself so he knew he would ask Jiyong to attend too. Anyway, what could possibly go wrong?


	38. Chapter 38

"Jiyong, his party is on the Saturday and he wants us to go for a family dinner on the Sunday? How are we going to cope? Aren't we all just going to be stupidly hungover?"

I was on the telephone to Jiyong. Seunghyun had just invited me to join him, his family (yes... his FAMILY!) to a meal to celebrate his birthday. Apparently, it was custom for friends to join in with this family celebration, hence why Jiyong was invited as well.

"We will just have to be careful with how much we drink, eh?" Jiyong joked. He knew we weren't going to moderate our drinking. Even after Seunghyun's incident with the alcohol poisoning, we weren't going to hold back. After all, it was supposed to be an exciting night to celebrate Halloween and Seunghyun's birthday.

"We can't just tell Seunghyun, we need to keep the party a surprise."

"Can't we ask his family to rearrange?"

"NO!" Jiyong shouted down the phone. "That would be disrespectful. We will just have to see how it goes."

We said our goodbyes and I wondered how on earth I was going to cope at a meal with Seunghyun's family. Surely it would be incredibly awkward because I didn't speak the language well and trying to hide the chemistry between Seunghyun and I was difficult at best. I tried to block thoughts of it out of my head. _If I don't think about it, it won't happen._

* * *

It was the day of the party and I was at Seunghyun's apartment. He was watching a documentary on Francis Bacon when I went and sat next to him, curling my legs underneath his.

"Seunghyun..." I said, my voice full with mischief. He looked up at me and raised his eyebrow. He knew something was not right.

"Yes?"

"So tonight, I need you to dress up."

"Dress up? I didn't think you were into that kink?" I found it funny how he said this with his typical stoney-faced delivery.

"You know, for Halloween?" I said, trying to lull him into a fake sense of security.

"No, Cheonsa. We don't do that here." He turned his documentary back on.

He wasn't making this easy.

"Please! I'm feeling really homesick. Plus, I might have got a costume for you," I said, trying to sound convincing. _Why wasn't he getting the hint._

"A costume? For me?"

I nodded my head as I leapt up and pulled him into the bedroom by his wrist. Playfully, he brought his arms around my waist as I tried to drag him backwards but ended up nearly tripping on one of his statues by the door. Laughing at my stupidity, he leaned in and kissed me up against the wall. My back slammed up against the cold, hard surface and he put his hands in between my thighs, forcing them open in his gentle yet domineering manner.

"No!" I playfully giggled, "I need to show your the costume I got for you."

He pulled back and bit his lip seductively.

"Aiiiish, Cheonsa, let me have some fun..."

"No!" I cheekily smacked him on the arm. "You have to come with me so I can show you your costume!"

"I hope this isn't some sort of white lie about being homesick because you've actually organised a surprise party for my birthday." As he said it, he saw my face change and he put his hand over his mouth. "It is, isn't it?"

I frowned at him and folded my arms sulkily.

"Oh no! I am sorry, have I just spoiled the surprise?" he asked, seeming genuinely concerned.

_Ermmm, yes. Idiot._

"I'm sorry!" He kissed my forehead and pulled me close but resisted him. "I'm sorry! Don't be mad at me."

"You've spoiled it now," I huffed.

He sighed.

"No. Honestly. I feel honoured that you've organised something for me even though my birthday isn't for a few days!"

"I know but we thought it would be cute to do something for Halloween too."

"We?" He pulled back from me as he held my shoulders.

"Jiyongie has done most of the organising. He isn't going to be impressed if he finds out you know."

"I will just have to pretend then," he said as he ruffled my hair with his hand. "Come on, let's see what stupid costume you've got for me...!"

He pulled me into the bedroom this time and I couldn't help but smile at him. I liked that he was playing along for his friend. I opened the wardrobe door and pulled out a Tuxedo and a top hat.

"I thought you could be Bruce Wayne. You know, Batman's secret identity?!" I said as I chucked the outfit at him. He raised his eyebrows at me and gave me one of his disapproving, villainous looks.

"Are you being serious, Cheonsa?"

"Aww, come on, Seunghyun! It will be fun to dress up," I said as I fell to my knees on the bed almost begging him. He paused and looked at the costume, taking it in slowly. I knew he wasn't one for dressing up but I promised him that it was going to be a fun night.

"And what are you going to be?" He asked me, cocking his head.

I smiled playfully as I knew I was going to enjoy his reaction to my answer.

"Catwoman."

His whole face changed as he gave me a suggestive smile. I could tell this had changed his mind.

"Show me then?"

I knelt up on the bed and hooked my finger in the space between his buttons on his shirt.

"Let's take off these clothes first," I purred as I pulled him on top of me. He took his weight on his left elbow and used his right hand to hold my neck. Running his finger slowly down my neck to my chest, I let out a moan in reaction to his feather-light touch...

* * *   
As soon as I had put the Catwoman costume on, I knew I had made a stupid choice in an outfit. The high heels were so high that I could barely totter, let alone walk. It was so tight, I could hardly breathe and most importantly, what was I going to do if I needed to pee? This thing had to be zipped up by Seunghyun and I couldn't take him into the toilets with me.

Since we had got back from New York, I hadn't spoken to Sooyun. I was still disappointed with her for not telling me about the arrangement between Lauren and Seunghyun. I missed her but I was still waiting for an apology from her. I guessed I would have to just ask some strangers at the party.

I felt nervous because lots of Seunghyun's friends were there who I hadn't met. Seunghyun had given me strict advice not to flirt with him, touch him or try anything at the party. I thought that was pretty rubbish considering it was _his_ party and surely there wouldn't be any press or photographers _inside_ the venue? He explained that people had phones and people could be bribed for money. _Great._

Seunghyun and I had arrived together in a car but he made me wear my YGE ID badge so people thought I was one of his staff accompanying him to the party. I rolled my eyes when he suggested it. I didn't want to be the staff: I wanted to be recognised as his girlfriend but I knew I couldn't be choosy about it. It would only cause problems and spoil the evening.

As we exited the car, he leapt out looking suave and handsome. The lights of the photo bulbs flashing hurt my eyes and I squinted, screwing up my face. _That will look attractive on KoreaBoos tomorrow morning..._

He moved fluidly through the crowd, I hung back to stand with Chansuk, a security guards who had been asked by YG to keep an eye on Seunghyun. Some of the photographers tried to crowd Seunghyun's so Chansuk swooped over and forced them out of his way.

"MOVE BACK, PLEASE," his voice boomed. One of the photographers pushed back into me and tripped me up, causing me to fly backwards into another set of photographers.

"Hey, watch it!" they shouted as they fussed around their cameras, polishing them to make sure they hadn't broken.

"It wasn't me, it was that troll's fault!" I yelled, pointing at the man who had knocked me over.

"She's YGE staff, help her up!" cried one of the photographers. I noticed it was the same one who had helped me all those months ago outside of the club when Seunghyun and I had an argument.

I felt two hands grab me and I looked up: it was Batman. _Batman?!_

"Here, let me help you," Batman said behind his mask. I recognised his voice instantly. "This is getting to be a regular thing, yes Cheonsa-ah!"

It was Youngbae. Looking in his eyes through his mask made me feel strange. He had come to help me and Seunghyun had just walked off.

"Ah! Let's have some pictures of Taeyang helping the staffs!" Came the cries of the photographers.

"Isn't he so lovely?"

"Kind Taeyang!"

"Batman saves his Catwoman!"

 _That's it. He's Batman. I'm Catwoman. Did he know about my costume? Was this planned?_ It couldn't have been because I didn't tell anyone about the costume. Only....

"G DRAGON!" came the shouts of the press as they completely forgot about hero of the moment, Youngbae, and focused on the Leader.

"Shall we go in?" Youngbae asked me as he let go of my hands and held his arm out. I walked in front of him, trying hard to not to acknowledge the weird costume coincidence. I couldn't be seen walking in with him as Batman. Seunghyun would go wild with fury!

"I... I am just waiting for Jiyong," I hesitated as I tried to think of something to say as an excuse.

"Oh. Okay," he said with a rejected tone.

Part of me was angry with him for dressing up as Batman but half of me thought it was cute. _Cute?! STOP IT. He is not cute. He is your boyfriend's band mate. So just stop._

"Ch-Ch-Cheonsaaaa-AH!!" shouted Jiyong as he walked up the stairs dressed as the Joker.

"Is this some sort of D.C. party?" I joked with him.

"Well duh!" He replied as he danced around me. "Has Seunghyun got his Batman costume on? Daesung is Poison Ivy and Seungri is Bane. Youngbae wanted to come as Two-Face: I bet his makeup is sick!"

Oh no. The first thing had gone wrong. There was clearly a costume mix up. _Now what else!!_


	39. Chapter 39

I cringed when I realised that Youngbae had decided to be Batman. _Why was he doing this? Was he trying to make a point at Seunghyun's birthday? He clearly knows he was supposed to come as someone else..._

I didn't want to avoid him for the whole evening but it would be awkward when Seunghun realised. I prayed that Seunghyun wouldn't understand that he and Youngbae were basically dressed as the same character. Surely Seunghyun hadn't got a clue about the Batman universe? He was more Banksy than Batman.

I was about to explain to Jiyong what had happened but a group of people had pounced on him. I gathered that they were all friends because he began dancing and laughing with them. I stood, staring, not knowing how to react, feeling stupid dressed in a leather catsuit and killer heels that I couldn't walk in. I wondered where Seunghyun had gone to and I suddenly felt defensive. Was he talking to Ri-Na? I shook my head; _why would she be at his party? He swore he didn't want anything to do with her._

 _"Cheonsa?"_ Whispered a voice softly. I turned around to see Sooyun.

"Oh, annyeohaseyo," I replied. I was being slightly petulant by answering her formally. She wrapped her arms around me. It looked so silly because she was dressed as Big Bird from Sesame Street in a big, puffy yellow feathery dress and striped pink tights. Big Bird hugging Catwoman. _Maybe I should chase her off like real cats do to birds?_

"Please don't be angry at me, Cheonsa. I was just a pawn in their stupid game of idol chess. Mr Lee called all the shots." She looked somber as she glanced around nervously. "Come on, I have really missed you."

I couldn't be angry at my only female friend in the whole of Asia. I gave her a hug back. Just then, I realised that she could help me.

"Sooyun, there is a crisis and I need your help."

Her eyes bolted open. Sooyun liked crisis: she found it invigorating. She was certainly a strange lady and completely opposite to the shy Daesung.

"Do you really need to pee but can't get out of that silly catsuit?" She joked with me. It was a relevant point but not what I wanted to ask her.

"Yes but no, that's not what the crisis is." I took a deep breath and grabbed her hand, leading her to the corner of the room by the chocolate fountain. I looked around to make sure that we weren't being watched by anyone.

"Seunghyun and Youngbae are both dressed as Batman."

She burst out laughing and slapped her feathery thighs. _Why did she find this so funny?_

"How is _that_ a crisis?! I thought you'd missed your period or something! Who cares if they have the same costume on. It's a party, and we will all get drunk and enjoy it."

"No! Youngbae knew Seunghyun was dressing up as Bruce Wayne - Jiyong told him. So he's dressed up as Batman, you know, Bruce Wayne's way cooler alter-ego hero?"

She looked at me with a blank expression because she clearly didn't understand the problem. I had to be obvious and tell her.

"Youngbae has done it because he is sending me a message. That he is better than Seunghyun."

Again, she had a blank expression on her face. Then suddenly, she understood the problem. Sooyun had seen, first hand, the building tension between Youngbae and I. She witnessed _that drunken night_ in the club when we were about to leave together. She knew Youngbae had come to comfort me after Lauren and I had the fight in New York, thanks to Seungri telling Daesung.

"It sounds stupid but I think you could be right. We need to keep them apart."

"But how?! It's Seunghyun's party and Youngbae is one of his best friends."

"We need to take Youngbae out."

I gasped. "We're not going to _murder_ him!!!"

"NO! Why would you think that?! Not murder, you _baegchi!!_ We need to convince him to leave." She frowned in thought.

"Could we try and set him up with someone?"

"No. He wouldn't take the bait. He's too reserved. We need to get him blind drunk." She paused and I could see the cogs whirring in her mind. "I know, Daesung and I will keep him occupied and feed him whiskey after whiskey. Maybe he will get so drunk that he is sick and have to go home."

"Oh, Sooyun, this is cruel. He isn't a horrid person, we can't deliberately make him sick." I thought of how poorly Seunghyun had been after his alcohol poisoning.

"Do you _want_ Seunghyun to see and put two and two together? Because he is a clever man and he _will_ suspect something."

I chewed my lip and reluctantly nodded at her. It was the only option.

"Right. I will look after Youngbae and you look after Seunghyun." She kissed me on the cheek and fled away, yellow feathers flapping in haste. I swear she could have taken off.

I was nervous. Eyeing up the chocolate fountain, everything began running through my head. _Will this work? What if Seunghyun finds out about Youngbae's feelings towards me? Do I have feelings towards Youngbae? Do I love Seunghyun? Does Seunghyun love me? Oh shit, tomorrow is his family meal and I feel so mixed up...._

"Boo!" he said as he whispered in my ear, carefully caressing my waist. "Damn you look hot in that catsuit."

It was Seunghyun.

"Shhhh. People will hear you." I looked around nervously expecting to see people with cameras snapping pictures.

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realise the chocolate fountain had a microphone recorder." He kissed me on the cheek. _Knowing YGE, the whole place was probably bugged...._

Seunghyun had already started drinking and it showed. The deal about being secretive and reserved had started to go out of the window as he took my hand and linked his fingers through mine. I frowned at him but the way he looked at me made my frown melt into a coy smile because I couldn't believe he was showing some affection in a relatively public place.

"I don't care any more, what will be will be," he said as he raised my hand to his lips and tenderly kissed it. I could already see people gawping at us. Luckily, I was wearing a mask on my eyes so at least that gave me some sort of anonymity. He led me to the dance floor and we began to dance together with Jiyong, Seungri and some other people who I didn't know. I presumed they were other Korean celebrities because they all had that perfect polished look about them. I thought I recognised some of them from the K-Dramas that Seunghyun and I had watched. As I peered over Seunghyun's shoulder, I could see Youngbae laughing and talking to Sooyun and Daesung. There were multiple empty bottles on the table so I knew she was getting him drunk. I felt very guilty. I kept Seunghyun's gaze on me as I didn't want him to look round and see Youngbae.

"You're getting a bit close, aren't you?!" Seungri shouted over the music at us. He pulled me towards him and span me round and put his hands on my waist as he started to grind against me. _Either he is trying to avert attention from Seunghyun and I, or he is very, very drunk._ Seunghyun didn't seem too impressed as he pushed Seungri in the chest, albeit rather flimsily, causing Seungri to knock over a waitress carrying drinks.

"SEUNGHYUN!" I shouted. People looked over at us.

"Be careful, Seungri..." Seunghyun forced as he realised he had made a show of himself. One of the women, who I presumed was an actress, began saying something in Seunghyun's ear, touching his arm and chest, giggling. He didn't seem impressed and nodded politely to her before blanking her and pulling me closer to him. We danced like this for a good half an hour, drinks being brought to us by various staff. He was getting dangerously drunk again.

"I have to go to powder my nose..." I said to him. I didn't want to tell him I needed to pee. I discreetly cocked my head towards the bathroom and stared at Sooyun. She made her excuses to a very drunk Youngbae and Daesung and slipped away. We met in the toilet stall, whispering so the other ladies wouldn't hear us.

"How is it going?" I asked her. I still felt guilty.

"He is so drunk. He keeps telling me about cats. I didn't know he had such a thing for cats."

I laughed.

"Seunghyun is getting wasted too. I think I should stop him before he passes out and hits his head... again."

"I'm going to suggest Bae goes home soon. Daesung said he will go with him. My Dae isn't one for parties."

"Ok. Good plan.... but Soo, can you unzip me so I can go for a pee please?" She laughed at me but we were friends and what use were friends if they couldn't help you to the toilet when you were drunk and wearing a leather catsuit.

After we had finished, I went and joined Seunghyun back on the dance floor. He was surrounded by people I didn't know.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SEUNGHYUN-AH!" came the voice of the DJ. He was a tall, blonde haired man with sweet face. Apparently his name was Mino.

"HYUNG, GET YOUR ASS UP HERE. LET'S SEE YOUR DJ SKILLS," Mino demanded as the guests all cheered. Some even prodded Seunghyun, including Jiyong who heckled him to go up there. I panicked. If Seunghyun went up to the DJ decks, he would see the whole of the room and that would mean Youngbae dressed as bloody Batman and would want to know why. I caught Sooyun's eye as I stood there, trying to smile and blend in with the other celebrants. She gave me a panicked look and I suddenly saw her try and pick Youngbae up. He wasn't a tall man but he was hench and muscly so she struggled to move him. I watched as he began to question why she was trying to move him and she began to get frustrated with him.

Stood glued to the spot, I watched helplessly. Seunghyun was now DJing some heavy bass music and began rapping down the microphone. Everyone around me began jumping and dancing. Sooyun was shouting at Youngbae, and Daesung began to get involved. I dashed towards Jiyong and shook him quickly to get his attention, telling him what was happening. He immediately rushed over and I, stupidly, followed him. 

"Don't touch me, Hyung..." Youngbae was shouting at Daesung.

"Woah, calm down. It's ok, you're just a bit drunk, Bae. It's ok," Jiyong began as he put his arms around Youngbae but Youngbae just shrugged him off.

"Please, calm down we don't want to make a scene," I whispered. Youngbae looked at me.

"You." He pointed at me. "You're coming home with me. You know you want to..." he shot a drunk grin at me and began to approach me until Jiyong stood in between us.

"No, noooo not a good idea, especially not at Seunghyun's birthday party," Jiyong said carefully trying to treat his friend with kindness. Youngbae pushed him off again and came to me, holding my wrists. He looked deep into my eyes and I swear he saw my soul. It was unsettling.

"Please, baby, I know you love me and not him."

My eyes widened and I didn't know what to say to him. I could feel people beginning to stare at us. Both Jiyong and Daesung came to grab Youngbae's arms. He began to thrash around, shouting in Korean and English.

"GET OFF!!!"

Youngbae grabbed my arm. It wasn't violent, he was gentle and he put his other hand on my chin, moving it up towards him. I was frozen with fear because I didn't know how to react.

The music cut dead and all I heard was Seunghyun shouting down the microphone in Korean. He leapt from the stage and barged his way through the crowd, pushing everyone who stood in his way. He came up to Youngbae, grabbed him by the collar of his costume and punched him straight in the face, causing blood to dribble down Youngbae's nose and chin.

"OH MY GOD STOP SEUNGHUN. STOP," I screamed as I tried to pull him off. By this point, the security guards had come over to stop the fight and management appeared, ushering all the guests to go home. _Of course management were hiding in the shadows. They were always watching._ Youngbae was being held back by a taller guard, the blood pouring from his nose. Sooyun was desperately dabbing at it with one of her feathery sleeves. It looked like a slaughter.

"Don't you ever touch her or pay her any attention," Seunghyun spat to Youngbae as he was being held back.

"I wouldn't have to if you weren't giving _your_ attentions to other women," Youngbae replied.

"What?" I asked as I looked pathetically at Seunghyun. He looked back at me and couldn't reply. He was speechless. _Was this true?_

"You are a liar!" Seunghyun shouted as he tried to wriggle out of the guard's grip.

"It's all truth. The only lie he has ever told you was that he loved you," Youngbae said, dabbing at his bloody nose.

I could feel the tears begin to fall down my hot, red cheeks. I was so embarrassed. _Did everyone know but me?_ Seunghyun turned to face me and began to explain himself but I couldn't look at him. Youngbae managed to release himself from the guard and he rushed towards me and grabbed my hands in his.

"This isn't the love you want but you've got to know: I am in love with you, Cheonsa."

I was dumbfounded and my whole world crashed down in front of me. I looked at Youngbae who looked as if he had just taken the oath of supremacy and then at Seunghyun who looked like he was about to strangle Youngbae.

I did the only thing I knew how to do and that was run. Although in these heels it was more like totter. As I tried to escape the situation, I knocked into the chocolate fountain and it sent a river of molten brown chocolate flowing erratically towards the boys. Bursting out into the open air, I frantically searched for an empty taxi but there were none. I locked eyes with Park Ri-Na and then it all made sense. Leaning up the brick wall, I unzipped my boots and slung them over my shoulder. I ran through the streets of Seoul and didn't look back. 


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N - Writing this chapter made me cry. I hope you all like it. Thank you for joining me on this crazy journey xxo**

I probably looked pathetic, running through the streets of Seoul crying in a catsuit with my shoes slung over my shoulder. I was surprised that the police didn't arrest me or section me.

There was no plan in place: I didn't have a clue where I was running to, which direction I was going or what would happen when my feet began to get bloody and blistered. Tears clouded my vision, my breathing was both stunted and heavy, and my whole body ached from the pain I felt in my chest. _Was Seunghyun seeing other women behind my back? Why was Ri-Na there? What would happen with Youngbae?_ I felt disgusting that I had come between two best friends. Two men who had bonded over fame, fortune and friendship. In fact, that probably was the worst feeling of all.

A pair of hands suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me, stopping me in my escape. I could smell his scent: patchouli. He was out of breath as he had ran frantically down the street to catch up with me.

"Let's move behind these parked cars so we have a bit of privacy, eh? We don't want everyone noticing us,"he said gently as he led me away from the street. A mixture of relief and sadness washed over me. 

"You've come to tell me how disgusting I am for coming between two friends? For causing drama in the group? For ruining everyone's life?" I shouted, no regard for anyone walking by. Although it was late at night, there were still people in the city walking from clubs and bars. Luckily no one took any notice of the mad Catwoman screaming with no shoes on.

"It's ok though: I am leaving. I am leaving this _shitty, shitty_ place where I don't fit in." The anger spilled out as I roared in his face.

I turned around and looked at him the eyes: there was a pain I had never seen before in his soul. As I spurted vitriol and rage, he drew me in and held me so tight that I felt the pressure dissipate from my weak limbs. I collapsed into him, causing him to stagger. He had to lean up against the wall of the building we were near.

"Seungri, please help me," I shouted breaking down into a waterfall of heavy sobs . I was so lost. I was so conflicted and torn.

"Shhh, it's ok," Seungri replied as he held my head close to his chest and rubbed my back with his other hand.

"Why have you come to find me? _I'm_ the devil. _I'm_ the villain."

"I wanted to check you were ok. You're in no state to be wandering drunk and alone in a country where you don't speak the language well. Seunghyun and Youngbae can sort out their issues together, they're the ones who have caused the bigger problems. I'm furious with them both. What friend would I be if I didn't make sure you were ok?"

He was understanding but I couldn't help but feel he felt disappointed at the whole situation. There was a pause and he held me, stroking my hair to calm me down.

"I need to go to my apartment," I softly sniffed in between sobs. "I need to. Please."

He loosened his grip on me and looked me in square in the eyes, chewing his lip for a moment whilst he thought about an answer.

"Ok. I will come back with you just to make sure you are safe."

"No. I don't need you to come back with me. You've done enough by coming to find me. Please just help me get a taxi home." I pushed him away from me and starred at the ground, focusing on a leaf that was swirling around as the breeze picked up.

Seungri reached into his pocket and fished out his phone, clumsily dialling a number and conversing seriously with the other caller.

"A driver is coming to collect us now."

* * *   
The drive to my apartment was quiet. Neither of us said anything to each other but Seungri held my hand and squeezed it carefully at regular intervals. I imagined that Seunghyun would probably be irritated by his friend touching me like this but he had no right to comment on it. After all, what had he been up to with other women?

When we pulled up to my building, Seungri told the driver to wait. It was a great effort to totter up the stairs to my apartment in the stupid heels. Seungri had suggested I put my shoes back on. As we climbed the stairs and the door to my apartment came into view, I saw Seunghyun standing there, waiting.

"Nope. No. No," I said as I fished around in my bra for my key, desperate to let myself in. I didn't want to see him. I wasn't in the right frame of mind to process his explanation.

"Please, I need to tell you the full story," he begged as he came forwards and grabbed my wrist. There was a look of sheer desperation on his face that I had never seen before.

"I'll just leave you to it?" Seungri asked as he backed away. I managed to get the key from my bra and shrugged Seunghyun off me.

"No. Take him with you," I said bluntly as I turned the key in my door and pushed it open causing it to make a huge bang. Seunghyun pulled me back out of the apartment.

"Get off, you're hurting me," I winced as he pulled me towards him. Part of me wanted to give up and melt into his arms but I was so angry with him for punching Youngbae. I was even angrier to hear the allegations from Youngbae about Seunghyun's attention towards other women.

"Youngbae hasn't got any idea what he is going on about. He is so clouded in his judgement because he _thinks_ he loves you. He doesn't. No one loves you like I do. I don't love anyone else, I swear on my entire life, Cheonsa."

Seunghyun's words stung.

"Just go home," I said, disheartened. My tone couldn't have been more flat if I'd have tried.

"Please?"

I didn't answer him as I shook myself from his grasp. I shut the door, bolted it and collapsed in a crying heap on the floor. Everything had gone wrong and there was no point in pretending it could be salvaged. I felt like I was a storm in their lives, thundering in and causing endless floods and damage. My mind was made up. I would be leaving Seoul for London forever.

* * *   
A week had passed and I had just handed over my apartment keys to my landlord. I didn't get my security deposit back because I left so abruptly but I didn't care: I just wanted to get out. I hadn't told anyone that I was leaving yet. Every day, Seunghyun would call, text, call and turn up outside my door. I had thousands of messages and calls from Youngbae as well but I simply didn't reply to them. It was best if I left them all alone. On the rare occasion that I went out to get supplies, I made sure I wore a mask and a baseball cap to disguise myself.

I went to visit Ban Yu-mi in the coffee shop and told her that I was leaving to go home for good. In fact, she was the only person that I told. She was very disappointed but she didn't ask questions. _Maybe she knew something bad had happened because Mrs Choi had told her?_ We hugged and I left, which was hard because I liked her and would miss her.

* * *   
Struggling with my luggage, I zig-zagged between the various travellers at Incheon airport. I felt so depressed that words couldn't describe all of the gloom staining my heart. It was almost as if I was being crushed by my desperation. I saw couples hugging and kissing, saying their goodbyes and I bit my lip. _I didn't say goodbye to Seunghyun._ It was at that precise point that my heart broke. Stopping to catch my breath, I looked at the departure board to see where my gate was: 87. It was time to say goodbye forever.

Inhaling the Korean air for one last time, I boarded the plane to begin a new chapter in my life. The plane ride was boring and seemed to last an eternity. All I could think of was Seunghyun. _I really loved him. I really love him._ That was why I was doing this. It wouldn't have been fair to stay in Seoul, breaking up his band and his friendship. The kindest thing to do was to disappear from his life completely. He would thank me one day when he was older, possibly married and even with children. I laughed to myself because I could never see Seunghyun with children but I could see myself married to him. Even though our relationship was probably the most dysfunctional thing in the world, I loved him with every fibre of my being. I tried to remind myself that he had apparently been seeing other women but I couldn't escape my fate: I loved him.

I began to cry on the plane. The fire was long burnt out and cold but the embers still glowed, still lived there in the grey ashes.

When we arrived in London, it was raining. No one was waiting for me at the arrivals gate and I lugged my tired self onto the Heathrow Express, battled through the tube and found myself at my parent's house. They knew I was coming home but it was still strange. I had lived a solitary life for such a long time and it made me even more depressed to go back to my childhood home feeling like I had accomplished nothing in my life apart from chaos and misery.

I watched the rain pour from my window and took a drag on my cigarette, blowing the smoke out of my open window. I checked my phone; nothing. I took the SIM card out and cut it into messy quarters with some nail scissors lying on my bedroom table. Now no one could contact me.

* * *

Almost two months had passed of living back in England. I got myself a job in London, working in Berwick Street for a shop that sold high end magazines. Of course, on the cover of one of them was Jiyong. _G-Dragon: Korea's Biggest Star._

It put me into a foul mood all day. I was only just beginning to heal from my broken heart and now this brought back all of the terrible feelings again. _I need him. I can't breathe without him._

I told my boss I had to go home because I was feeling unwell. Probably not the best impression to give during your probation period but I was overcome by an overwhelming sadness: I had to leave.

As I began to walk home, I decided to walk through New Oxford Street and off at Cookies'n'Creme to get myself a cake. As I did I noticed a gorgeous Burberry Trench Coat in the window of Harvey Nichols. I glanced in at it. A pang of anger ran through my veins because I suddenly thought of the Trench Seunghyun had bought me: the one Lauren had ripped. Before I knew it, I was wandering through Bond Street, looking at all of the beautiful designer clothes and bags. I stopped outside of Dior because there was a commotion outside of Chanel, the shop next door. I urged myself forward to see what was going on because I was being nosy. Being nosey was probably the best thing I did that day.

It was Jiyong.

Before I could even think about the words that left my mouth I shouted his name and stepped forwards into his path. One of the security guards grabbed me and moved me away.

"Cheonsa?????" Jiyong said, sounding very shocked as he looked at me with a puzzled expression. He put his hand on his guard. "No, please she's ok," he said with a smile.

Fans were screaming around us and photographers were flashing photographs. Jiyong whispered something to a Korean lady behind him and he gave me an awkward nod as he was ushered into a waiting car. The lady passed me a card and go into the car: they drove off.

I stood there dumbfounded as I looked at the crisp white card, adorned with golden writing. It read: _PEACEMINUSONE - ANGEL_ with a phone number underneath. _Did she intend for me to call?_

The fans saw I was holding the card and began to approach, asking questions. Without looking back, I began to run down New Bond Street. I probably looked like I had robbed one of the stores. When I had come to one of the side streets, I turned the corner and found an empty door step. Sitting on the cold stone, panting as I was dangerously out of breath I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialled the number that was engraved in gold leaf on the card.

"Annyeonghaseyo?" came the shrill voice.

"Hello?"

"Yes can I help?"

I told her my name and that I had seen Jiyong outside of Chanel.

"Ahhh! Cheonsa. Please, Mr Kwon requests your company. His schedule is tight but can you come tonight to the hotel? Around 10pm? It's The Dorchester. At the front desk, as for Angel and someone will come to collect you."

She put the phone down.

10pm. The Dorchester Hotel.

I thought this chapter in my life was closed but clearly the universe had other plans for me...


	41. Chapter 41

At 9pm, I was sat on my bed looking at my reflection in my mirror. Wearing my trusted black dress with black heels and my black leather jacket I felt I looked appropriate to meet Kwon Jiyong. Although it probably looked as if I was too dressed up to meet him, I wanted to make a good impression. After all, I doubt him (or any of them as a matter of fact) were that pleased I had fled Seoul and blocked them out of my life.

I chose red lipstick to wear and I made sure my long hair was poker straight. Placing my cigarettes, keys and phone in my bag, I set off for The Dorchester hotel.

I arrived into the elegant establishment and casually walked up to the desk. Explaining that I was here to see Angel, the receptionist suggested that I take the elevator up to the third floor where someone would meet me. _Clearly they don't trust me enough to go directly to his room._

Upon entering the elevator, butterflies flooded my stomach and I felt incredibly nervous. _What if Jiyong is angry with me? What if he doesn't want to talk properly?_ I had to get my priorities straight: I was there to apologise to him for leaving and for him to pass on my best wishes to Seunghyun. It was time to end this chapter in my life.

 _Seunghyun._ I thought about the way he used to hold my hand in his, bringing it to his soft lips to plant a gentle kiss. The way he used to hold me from behind as we watched the stars in his apartment. The way he would pull my hair as he took me from behind, forcing me to scrunch the bedsheets in my palm with pleasure. I missed him so much; it tore me up. _No. Stop._ There was no way I could go back to him after all the heartache I had caused between him and Youngbae, not to mention the commotion caused at YGE.

I still had my YGE pass with me in my leather jacket pocket. It was something that I kept with me at all times to remind me of happier times.

As I stepped out of the elevator, I saw Angel waiting for me with a smile on her face.

"Cheonsa-ssi!" she hummed with cherubic voice that matched her name. "You know Cheonsa means Angel in Korean? We have the same name?!"

"Oh, it's just a nickname!" I bowed to her and told her my real name.

"He must think highly of you then to call you by such an informal title. You know, in Korea..."

I didn't listen to her because my heart was pounding in my ears. The _thud, thud, thud_ was almost distracting. I hummed in agreement to her as we strode gently down the hallway.

"Have you eaten? Jiyong is doing some designing but I was going to fetch some food. Would you like something?"

"No, thank you." I was too anxious to eat.

She knocked on the door six times and waited. I heard Jiyong speak in Korean. Angel held the door open for me and I looked at her timidly.

"Yes, it's ok! Go in," she encouraged with a friendly pat on my arm.

I walked into the beautifully decorated room that smelt like hot glue: Jiyongie had been decorating his designer clothes again. The world famous G Dragon was plonked down on the carpet in his silken pyjamas with a glue gun in his hands. A range of colourful felt tip pens and sequins had been scattered carelessly around the floor. Without even thinking, I went and sat next to him, on my knees so that I didn't flash my panties at him.

"You like?" he said as he reached over to grab a pair of shoes he had drawn over. _Why did he have to say that... Seunghyun's catchphrase._

 _"_ They're _certainly_ a Jiyongie special, aren't they?!" I laughed as I studied the drawings of daisies and smiley faces on the sneakers.

"How are you?" he asked as he looked up and rested his chin in the palm of his hand. Jiyongie seemed tired, dark circles underneath his eyes, yet he still had time in his busy schedule to care about me.

"I'm clearly too dressed up!" I joked. "Here's me in a dress and full make up yet you're in your PJs!!"

He bit his lip and looked to the floor, scratching his head as if he was thinking carefully.

"Ummm... well there is a reason for that..." he began.

"Hello, Cheonsa...."

Me heart almost stopped as I saw him standing in front of the door to the suite. Black hair gelled back, YSL suit and tie, crisp white shirt unbuttoned at the top and what a surprise... no socks on his feet, which were wearing his usual snakeskin loafers.

I didn't know what to say so I just gawped at the man until it dawned on me that I was supposed to say something.

"Oh. It's you," was all I could manage. It probably sounded very rude but I was too shocked to managed any honourifics.

He smirked as he shook his head, rummaging around for what I presumed were the cigarettes in his pocket.

"You're not happy to see me?" he asked as he took out a Marlboro Light from its packet, placing it in between his lips. _Damn boy..._

"What makes you think I want to see you after all the shit that happened in Seoul?" I was cringing at being so feisty but I knew I couldn't just be putty in his hands.

"Why else would you have called Jiyong on the street? It's fate. It's brought us together again."

I put my hands to my mouth to stop me from bursting out in nervous laughter.

"Fate? Seunghyun, you don't believe in any of that nonsense. What's wrong with you?"

"I miss you."

There was a pause. All I could hear was Jiyong snipping away at pieces of fabric and gluing them onto one of his Chanel bags.

"Let's go onto the balcony... smoke?"

_Of course. Back to where it all began. Smoking on the balcony. He was a smooth motherfucker and knew how intoxicating nostalgia was to me._

Unable to resist him, I followed him out onto the balcony but I made sure I maintained my distance. I didn't want him to get any ideas but obviously this was TOP from BIGBANG, the suave gentleman: he placed a cigarette in my mouth, lighting it with his so that our faces were incredibly close. He looked me in the eyes and a small moan escaped his lips. _Why was he trying to drive me so crazy?!_

He took a sharp breath as he inhaled the fumes.

"Just hear me out, ok Cheonsa?"

I folded my left arm around myself in a sort of protective gesture but my right arm was at my side with the cigarette perched in between my fingers, leaving myself open for attack. I gave him a blank stare.

"I'm sorry for punching Youngbae. I have apologised to him. We were drunk. He admitted to his feelings for you but he is ashamed he acted on them. He has a new girlfriend now, her name is Hyo-Rin: she is lovely."

Seunghyun paused as he took another drag and swirled the smoke around his mouth, blowing it out gently.

"YGE have punished both of us for the incident at my party. It was all over the media and caused a scandal but it did us both a favour that you left the country. So for that I feel grateful yet ungrateful. When you left, I realised I was completely fucking empty without you. I had nothing to look forwards to. Yes, I had my career, our VIPS, my family, my members, art, music but they're not Cheonsa. I love you. I will love you until your heart stops beating. Even when you are an ethereal ghost, I want you to haunt me. When the sands of time run dry and the galaxy implodes, I will carry on loving you."

I began to blush at his words. He stepped closer to me and put his hand on my folded arm, squeezing tightly.

"Those other women meant nothing to me. Nothing happened, they were just young trainees who wanted to get closer to me. I was stupid in letting them see Choi Seunghyun but nothing happened. You have to believe me. Youngbae was being jealous in saying those things. If you need proof, Jiyong can vouch for me. Nothing happened, we just flirted at work I know it was disgusting and wrong. I often think about how much hurt this must have caused you every. single. day."

Seunghyun gazed into my eyes as he drew closer. My breath hitched as I could feel myself being drawn into him like a magnet attracted to its opposite pole. We were opposites and our relationship was volatile but this was all I wanted. I wanted Seunghyun.

"I love you and I need you." He kissed me softly, lingering for a second too long as I put my other arm around him. Tear were falling calmly down my face as I pulled away.

"Ri-Na?" I asked fighting through the emotions.

"She's no more. She has moved to the US. She is nothing to me. She invited herself to my party but we didn't let her in. That's why she was loitering. She was jealous. I love you."

He paused again.

"I'm willing to give it all up for you. I've spoken to YG about this. He knows that whatever happens, I'm not going to hide us anymore. If I have to move to London to make this work, I will-"

"Well at least there are plenty of galleries..." I interrupted as I laughed through the sobs. He took his thumb and wiped one of the tears from my cheeks.

"I love you, princess. I always will. So please, can we try again?"

I took a deep breath and looked at the floor.

"Seunghyun... I can't let you give up your career for me. That was the whole point in leaving Korea..."

He looked like a sad, lost puppy. I probably should have thought about my decision more carefully but I knew that in my heart this was the right thing to do.

"Yes."

"Yes?" he repeated as a smile began to form on his lips. "You'll give me one more chance?"

"I love you, Choi Seunghyun. If I have to move back to Seoul to be with you, I will. I'm not saying this is going to be easy though. We will probably fight; that's what we do. But, you're all I ever want. Being here has made me miserable. At least in Seoul, I can have honeybrick toast whenever I want. Plus, I miss Soo. And Dae. And Seungri... and I'm sure it would be lovely to meet Hyo-Rin too. I'm glad Bae is happy. It's all I want for him."

"Ahem!" coughed a voice from behind the doorway to the balcony.

"And you, Jiyongie!!" I laughed as I began to cry tears of joy once more.

"G DRAGON, YOU WERE WATCHING?!" Seunghyun joked with his Hyung, going over to him and getting him in a headlock. I smiled because I had missed this. My boys.

"Ow! Get off!" Jiyong squealed. "I will leave you two love birds to it. But one question, is Cheonsa joining us on the GDxTOP promo tour?"

Seunghyun looked at me expecting permission and I looked at Jiyong, nodding my head. Jiyong made a fist and pumped into the air signalling his excitement as he scooted off back to the hotel room. Seunghyun came over to me and wrapped his arm around my neck in a casual yet affectionate way. We turned and looked out into the cityscape, twinkling like stars against the backdrop of the night sky. 

"I love you, Cheonsa."

"I love you too, Choi Seunghyun."

* * *

**THE END.**

**THANK YOU FOR READING. I loved writing this story!**  
**PEACEOUT VIPS xxo**


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